Symmetry
by Vee22
Summary: From the moment they met, Jake Knightley was wrapped around Emma Woodhouse's little finger. Too bad she's too blind to see it. But did anyone say the course of true love would be easy? Modern Emma. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

Emma Woodhouse was six years old when she received her first proposal. From a man that was twelve years her senior, no less.

Jake Knightley was her close friend and next-door-neighbour. Eighteen years old, legally able to drink, vote and go clubbing, and entering his first year of a law degree at Sydney University, he made an unlikely companion for young Emma.

But from the day she was born and had first grasped Jake's index finger in her chubby hand, they had surprisingly become inseparable. Jake liked to joke that Emma had _always _had him wrapped around her little finger, right from the start.

This particular afternoon, he'd driven home for the weekend. After saying a quick hello to his parents and his younger brother John, he'd hastily made his excuses and headed next door. He had bought some special gifts for his little companion and was eager to see what she would think of them.

Her older sister Isabella answered the door and her eyes lit up momentarily when she saw that it was he; and faded just as quickly as she realised he hadn't brought John with him.

At the age of twelve, Isabella had recently become very interested in boys and had developed a not-so-secret crush on his fourteen-year-old brother. Jake found it highly amusing and teased his brother about it mercilessly.

John (or Johnny as he was known at the time) seldom deigned to dignify his older brother's teasing with replies, but every now and again, Jake caught him sneaking glances at the older Woodhouse girl.

"Oh, Jake, it's you," she said quietly, trying to hide her disappointment. "Are you here to see Emma?"

"Yes, please," Jake said gravely, as he solemnly stepped inside. "I have a present for her... and for you too."

"For _me_?"

Isabella's eyes shone with unexpected delight and Jake realised with a sudden pang of guilt that she had not been expecting a present from him. Was his affection for Emma so great, that her older sister felt slighted by him?

He berated himself for his insensitivity and silently vowed to pay more attention to Isabella from that moment on.

Not waiting for her younger sister, Isabella carefully began to peel away the sticky tape that bound her package, unwrapping it slowly and methodically.

She finally pulled away the last fold of paper to reveal a lovely baby doll and she smiled happily.

"Oh, she's beautiful! Thank you."

Most twelve-year-old girls would've felt like they were too old for dolls, but Isabella was definitely the exception. She immediately cradled the doll in her arms and began singing a soft lullaby to it. From the dreamy state in her eyes, Jake could tell that she had already fallen in love with her doll.

Jake smiled as Isabella left the room, still gently rocking her doll to sleep. He had a feeling she'd make a great mother someday.

At that point, Emma came running into the room and Jake admired the pretty picture that she made. Hazel eyes, long blonde curls tied back with a blue ribbon, dimples that creased her rosy cheeks...

All she needed to complete the perfect look was a checked dress and pinafore, but there was no way his little Emma would ever agree to wear an outfit like that. Instead, she was clad in a blue T-shirt smattered with dirt and a muddy pair of jeans with a hole ripped in the knee.

"What on earth have you been doing?" he asked, amused by her messy state.

"Climbing trees," she replied breathlessly. "Daddy is asleep and it's the only time I get to climb trees. When he's awake, he always tells me to stay away from them. He's worried I'll fall down."

Jake laughed. Mr Woodhouse was certainly on the overprotective side, there was no doubt about that. But he couldn't blame the man. Having lost his wife when Emma was just a toddler, he'd suddenly found himself alone and responsible for two young girls whom he didn't have the slightest idea how to take care of.

On the recommendations of his good friend Dr Perry, Mr Woodhouse had earnestly purchased several published works about the art of child-rearing and had devoted himself to carrying out each and every method to the letter, no matter how absurd or old-fashioned the methods might be.

Emma's eyes focused greedily on the second parcel tucked under his arm.

"That's for me, isn't it?" she said with confidence, as she expectantly held out her hand.

Jake smothered a grin at the arrogance of his impertinent little friend. Unlike Isabella, who had reservations about whether Jake had even brought her a present, Emma had no such doubts. She knew that Jake doted on her and would _never _forget to bring her a gift when he came home from university.

_I'm spoiling her, _he thought in alarm. _I really have to stop it, or she'll grow up to be an insufferable adult._

But he forgot his self-reproof and his heart softened at the sight of little Emma eagerly tearing into her package.

"Books! You brought me books! Oh, thank you, Jake!" she exclaimed as she scanned the covers of each excitedly. An avid reader from the young age of four, she devoured books more greedily than any adult he knew, and he took great pleasure in adding to her rapidly-increasing collection.

She then put her books down and surprised Jake by wrapping her arms around his legs and giving him an affectionate hug. He hugged her back warmly, happy that his gift had been so well-received. Although, knowing Emma's varied hobbies and interests, it would be hard to find a gift that she did not like.

Mr Woodhouse had retired to bed early that afternoon, claiming indigestion after a particularly rich lunch at a neighbour's home. Isabella had been delighted to have the opportunity of playing nurse as she enjoyed fussing over and looking after their father. This left Jake to look after Emma. Mr Woodhouse had offered to pay Jake for his time and troubles, but Jake had staunchly refused. He was pleased to have an excuse to spend extra time with his favourite companion.

"So, what are we going to do today, Em?" he asked, bracing himself for any range of answers. Emma had a very creative imagination and enjoyed all kinds of things, so it wouldn't be out of character for her to suggest making pirate costumes from scratch or whipping up a fancy dish a la Junior Masterchef.

To his surprise, Emma shyly asked if they could watch a DVD and even produced what she wanted to watch.

Jake smiled at her request. It was a recording of the wedding of a distant relative of the Woodhouse's. Although the family had been invited to the wedding, Mr Woodhouse had refused to go, because it was on board a ship. He was sure that he and the girls would get terribly seasick if they had to spend the entire day on a rocking boat.

For a shipboard wedding, the set-up was surprisingly elegant. The rails of the ship were decked with lilies (the bride's favourite flower) and contrary to Mr Woodhouse's apprehensive fears, the boat did not appear to be rocking in the slightest.

Emma stared transfixed at the screen, watching intently as the bride walked towards her groom and clasped his hand.

"There's not many people at her wedding," she whispered, as though she was afraid to disrupt the groom's recitation of his vows.

"Well, I guess she wanted to keep it small. It looks like it's just really close friends and immediate family there," Jake replied.

"Oh," Emma said thoughtfully.

She returned to staring at the screen, but a few minutes later, she was tugging on Jake's sleeve again.

"It's not a very fancy wedding," she confided. "It doesn't look _anything _like the wedding Cousin Kathy had last year."

Jake unwittingly grimaced as he remembered the horrendously ostentatious wedding Kathy had put on. From live doves being released during the ceremony to an ice sculpture of a naked Cupid and Aphrodite greeting them at the reception, it had been overly done and flashy from start to finish. In comparison, the ceremony playing in front of them right then was simple and sweet.

"No, this isn't anything like that wedding," he agreed.

He returned his eyes to the television, where the scene had skipped ahead to the reception. Bride and groom were dancing slowly, cheek to cheek.

And of course, Emma interrupted by tugging on his arm yet again.

"Do you think I'll ever get married one day?" she asked thoughtfully.

Jake hid a smile. It seemed ridiculous that the muddy six-year-old in front of him was already wondering if she'd get married one day.

"I don't know, Emma," he replied, careful to keep his tone neutral. For a six-year-old, Emma was surprisingly intelligent and could always tell when he was patronising her.

Emma frowned, clearly not happy with his answer.

"But I want to get married one day!" she cried petulantly. "And I'm going to have a quiet wedding like that one there."

Jake thought about the idea of Emma getting married one day and felt very old. He had so much trouble picturing this dimpled little child as a bride.

But wishing to placate her, he replied honestly, "I'm sure you'll get married one day, Emma. Just find your husband first, OK?"

"OK," Emma replied obediently. Then she looked up at him curiously.

"Jake? Will _you _get married one day?"

Jake swallowed, feeling a bitter lump come into his throat.

For the past ten months, he'd been seriously dating a beautiful blonde named Caroline Bingley. She was classy, sophisticated and stylish and Jake had fallen for her easily. However they had been on the verge of celebrating their eleventh-month anniversary when she had unexpectedly and cruelly dumped him without so much as an explanation why.

Right then, he didn't feel as though he would ever be able to trust another woman with his heart again; let alone wonder if he'd ever get married. But of course, he couldn't explain this to Emma.

"I don't know, Em," he said with a sigh, reaching out and tousling her blonde curls.

"Why not?" Emma pressed. She had an exceedingly curious nature and Jake knew that she wouldn't be satisfied with a pat answer.

"I don't know whether I'll ever meet someone who loves me enough to marry me," he said truthfully, wondering why the hell he was spilling his guts to a six-year-old.

But the warmth and compassion in Emma's eyes was surprisingly empathetic.

"That's sad, Jake," she said earnestly as her face took on a contemplative expression.

A few seconds later, her eyes lit up. "Maybe you and I can get married when I grow up and we can spend all day reading books and climbing trees together!"

Jake found himself grinning at Emma's absurd idea of what married life entailed.

"Perhaps we might," he said quietly, but with a twinkle in his eye.

"But you have to _plopose _first," she instructed sternly. "Girls don't get married unless the boy ploposes first."

"I see," Jake said solemnly, wondering where his little friend had gleaned this important piece of knowledge. "And what must I do, in order to... _plopose _to you?"

Emma frowned thoughtfully, as though trying to remember all the movies she'd ever seen.

"Well, first you have to get down on one knee," she mused.

Grinning, Jake obediently went down on one knee, trying to not to crack up at the preposterous sight he was sure that they made.

"And then you have to tell me you want to marry me..."

"I want to marry you," Jake said dutifully.

"And _then _you need to give me a ring..."

Jake hesitated and turned his pockets inside-out. "Sorry, Emma, I don't think I have a ring in here."

She looked over the scanty contents of his pocket gravely and tapped her chin with her forefinger in a surprisingly adult manner.

"You can bend this piece of gum and make it into the shape of a ring," she suggested finally. Her imagination knew no bounds.

Jake carefully fashioned a piece of Wrigley's Spearmint into the shape of a ring and held it up. "Will this do?"

The ring must have passed inspection because Emma nodded.

"Then you put it on my finger and say you'll love me forever," she declared.

And Jake did as he bid, doing his best to keep a straight face.

"Now you've ploposed!" she cried gleefully,

"Does that you mean you'll marry me one day, Emma Woodhouse?"

Emma paused to think about it. "Only if you buy me chocolate chip ice-cream every day and let me climb all the trees I want."

Jake laughed. "It's a deal."

Fifteen years later, Jake Knightley watched Emma Woodhouse float down the aisle in a beautiful Vera Wang dress and felt a pang of pain stab his heart. For he wasn't the groom she was walking towards. And he couldn't help but wonder how it had all gone so terribly wrong.

_**Author's Note: So this is my first attempt at an Emma fanfic and my second attempt at an Austen fanfic (I also have a modern Pride and Prejudice in progress). As you can probably already tell, this isn't going to be a simple retelling of Emma in a modern context but you will certainly see the parallels. **_

_**Thank you for reading my first chapter! What do you think? Is it worth continuing or should I scrap it and go back to the drawing board? I would love to hear your thoughts. Constructive criticism is welcome and of course, any encouragement would be greatly appreciated too. ;)**_


	2. Of Weddings and Wishes

"_Hey, this is Jake. I can't come to the phone right now, but if you'll leave your name, number and a short message, I'll be sure to get back to you."_

"That's just great, Jake. The _one _time you don't pick up your phone is the one time that I _really _need you to answer," Emma groaned.

She shot a quick glance at the clock and her hazel eyes widened in consternation. It was already 11:20 and Jake had promised to pick her up an entire fifteen minutes ago. It wasn't like him to be late and it worried her a little.

_She _was accustomed to being the late one. So much so, that her punctual best friend had taken to arriving early whenever he picked her up, courteously giving her that extra ten minutes or so to finish blow-drying her hair, frantically printing out her uni assignment or hunting for that elusive missing sock.

Normally, running a little late wouldn't be a big deal for Emma. But today happened to be a very special occasion. She and Jake were heading to the wedding of two dear friends – Daniel Weston and Taylor Lopez.

Daniel was a paralegal who worked in Jake's law firm and Taylor was Emma's former piano teacher. The two had first met at Jake's 30th birthday party two years earlier and with some prompting from Emma, had eventually started dating.

"I _knew _I should've insisted on leaving an extra hour early," she mumbled. She began to pace the floor impatiently, the heels of her silver stilettos clacking impatiently against the living room floorboards.

"Emma, dearest, what _are _you doing?" her father asked quizzically as he poked his head into the living room.

Emma immediately stopped pacing and smiled sheepishly at her father. "Sorry, Dad. I forgot you were taking a nap. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Mr Woodhouse smiled indulgently at his younger daughter. "That's alright, Em."

He looked at her and his smile changed into a frown. "Is _that w_hat you're wearing to the wedding?"

Emma looked down at her outfit and nodded.

Seeing her father's expression of disapproval, she sighed. "Alright, Dad. Just tell me what's wrong with it."

"It's a very skimpy dress and you're bound to catch cold," Mr Woodhouse fretted. "You can't afford to catch cold, Emma... not with the new semester of university starting next week."

"It's _summer, _Dad," Emma said with a laugh, as she gestured pointedly towards the rays of sunshine streaming through the front window. "Besides, I've got this."

She held up the bolero jacket that she planned to wear over her vintage floral dress if the weather turned chilly.

Mr Woodhouse was somewhat appeased. That little jacket didn't look like it would keep his stubborn daughter very warm, but at least it was better than nothing.

Emma shot another glance at the clock. It was now 11:30. What on earth could be keeping Jake? She started wondering if she could call a taxi.

Deciding that she really had no other choice, she headed towards the cordless phone on the other side of the room and promptly tripped on the edge of the rug under the coffee table. She wasn't used to walking on stilettos and the height of the heels had unnerved her.

Sitting up gingerly, she surveyed the damage. She hadn't been hurt by her fall, but she _had _torn her stockings.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, as she quickly took her heels and stockings off and ran upstairs quickly. Frantic rummaging through her sock drawer failed to unearth a fresh pair.

"Organised as always, I see," said an amused male voice.

Emma looked up hastily and flushed when she saw Jake lounging in the doorway.

"How long have you been standing there?" she demanded.

"Long enough," Jake said with a smirk. "I guess even when I'm late, I still beat you."

"That's unfair," Emma protested. "I was ready long before you arrived!"

She frowned. "And since when don't you pick up your phone? Where have you been?"

"I _am _sorry about that," Jake said apologetically, his smirk instantly disappearing.

"I was on my way over here when I got a flat tyre and I didn't have a spare. Luckily your neighbour Rob Martin happened to find me and he gave me his. I would've called you, but my phone went dead."

"Rob Martin? You accepted help from that weirdo?" Emma blurted without thinking.

Jake looked at her sternly – the kind of look that made Emma feel like she was still a petulant child. That was the trouble with having a best friend who was so much older than you.

"He's not weird, Emma," he said coolly. "You should make more of an effort to talk to him. He happens to be a really decent guy."

"Who thinks that UFOs exist and spends his spare time building inventions that will enable him to communicate with aliens," Emma shot back.

Jake shrugged. "Whatever his personal hobbies may be, he has a good heart, Em. I wish you'd treat him with a little bit more respect."

Emma ignored Jake's plea and turned away. "Now that you're finally here, we really have to get going. Daniel and Taylor aren't going to wait for us to get married, you know!"

"What about your stockings?"

"To hell with the stockings! We are not missing this wedding, Jake._ Especially_ since I helped get them together in the first place."

As they ran downstairs, outside and finally entered Jake's car, he snorted loudly. "You _still_ believe you played Cupid with Daniel and Taylor? And you call Rob Martin weird."

"Hey, the evidence speaks for itself," Emma said defensively.

"You know how shy Daniel is. He would _never _have asked Taylor out in the first place, if it hadn't been for me encouraging him. And Taylor wouldn't have even looked his way, if I hadn't pointed out how much they actually had in common. Admit it, Jake. They owe their relationship to me."

Jake scanned the smug expression on Emma's face and couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing.

She was affronted by his laughter and punched him lightly on the arm. "You're mean."

"Not at all. Just honest," he spluttered. "Why do you always think the universe revolves around you?"

After that comment, Emma crossed her arms and refused to talk to Jake for the duration of the trip.

She forgot her anger when they reached the church, though.

"How beautiful," she breathed, gazing at the small bunches of hydrangea and jasmine that decorated the church pews.

Jake smiled, glad that Emma seemed to have forgotten her earlier frustrations.

"Yes, it's all very nice," he agreed.

The string quartet began playing Pachelbel's Canon in D as three beautiful bridesmaids in hydrangea-blue halter dresses started walking gracefully down the aisle.

"Oh, look, there's Taylor! Isn't she gorgeous?" Emma whispered almost reverently.

Resplendent in an elegant white sheath, her former piano teacher began to walk down the aisle on the arm of her stepfather. At the side of the altar, Daniel was beaming as he feasted his eyes upon his lovely bride.

Although he was downright cynical about marriage on a personal level, Jake was just as moved by the ceremony as Emma was. Including personal vows from the bride and groom and a special poem read by the groom's grandmother, it was meaningful and lovely. The wedding and reception flew by.

"Congratulations! We're so happy for you," Emma said genuinely, as she gave Taylor a huge hug at the end of the reception.

Although Taylor had been smiling all day and was definitely more than a little tired, she still looked radiant as she beamed at Emma.

"Thank you, sweetie. Thank you for coming... and you know, for everything you did to help get us together," she said warmly.

Emma looked triumphantly at Jake and this time it was his turn to ignore her.

"Congrats, Tay," he said, opening his arms to the bride. "Have an wonderful time in Bali and SIngapore. Do you know when you'll be back from your honeymoon?"

Taylor paused to think. "In just under seven days, I think."

"So soon?"

Taylor ran her hand through her silky brown hair. "Well, yes, we're not staying away long. Daniel's cousin is transferring to USyd this semester and he'll be staying with us."

Emma had been talking to one of the bridesmaids, but her head immediately whipped around at this juicy bit of information.

"Daniel's cousin?" she said slowly. "That wouldn't happen to be Frank Churchill, would it?"

"Yes, that's his name. Do you know him?" Taylor questioned, surprised.

Emma opened her mouth to speak but Jake beat her to it.

"_Know him? _Emma has been obsessed with him ever since he visited Daniel's family when she was thirteen. She barely even talked to the guy, but somehow came away with the illusion that she was going to marry him one day."

"And why is that so implausible?" Emma flared. "He was sweet and cute and charming – and this was when he was a _teenager! _He can only have improved with age."

"You must be talking about my cousin," Daniel said jokingly, as he walked over to them and laced his hand through his wife's.

"How ever did you guess?" Jake asked dryly.

Daniel laughed.

"Frank has that effect on girls," he explained to Taylor. "It's like some kind of Casanova thing."

"Oh, I see. And why didn't I meet this Casanova cousin before I married you?" Taylor said teasingly.

"Because you married a smart man, honey," Daniel said with a wink.

As Jake drove Emma home that evening, she had only one topic of conversation in her repertoire - Frank Churchill.

By the time Jake had dropped her off, he sincerely hoped that he would never have to hear the name 'Frank Churchill' again. But he knew that was exceedingly unlikely, considering that the guy would be moving in with Daniel and Taylor in a week's time.

He thought about the pretty flush that had come to Emma's fair cheeks when she'd mentioned Frank's name. And for a fleeting moment, he wondered if she could actually have real feelings for Frank. A queer feeling that somehow resembled jealousy niggled at him.

Then he chastised himself for being a paranoid idiot. Emma barely knew Frank Churchill and hadn't seen him in seven years. Therefore her affections for him could only be the equivalent of a teenage crush and nothing more.

In fact, he almost wished that Frank Churchill would hurry up and get to Sydney already. It was time that Emma realised that real-life, grown-up Frank wouldn't be the paragon of perfection she had once thought of him as.

He would have done well to remember the old adage – one should be careful about what they wish for. They just might get their wish.

_**Author's Note: Sincere thanks and virtual brownies to all the reviewers of the first chapter – iambbq, Chocolate Is My Drug, Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley, sir-M-smarty106, SkiCan, Linnea7 and FaithIsDelusion. I really appreciated hearing your thoughts!**_

_**To those that are reading this second chapter – I hope that you enjoyed it and that you'll take the time to leave some feedback. Reviews really do inspire me to continue writing! =)**_


	3. Of Strangers and Schemes

"How_ long_ does it take to make a cheeseburger and vanilla milkshake?" Emma asked plaintively. She felt like they'd been there for _hours._

Jake glanced at his watch and grinned. "Apparently 40 minutes and counting."

Emma groaned, feeling her stomach rumble with pangs of hunger for the umpteenth time.

She cast longing eyes at Jake's turkey sandwich, which had arrived promptly a mere ten minutes after he'd ordered. He'd already devoured his sandwich and was now digging into his hot chips.

Sensing her hungry gaze, he swallowed quickly and pushed his plate over. "Here, Em. Have some chips."

"I thought you'd never ask," Emma said gratefully. She grabbed a handful of Jake's chips for herself and began wolfing them contentedly.

When she'd finished her handful, she reached out for more, only to meet Jake's amused gaze.

"What?" she demanded, unnerved by the twinkle in his eyes. "Do I have tomato sauce on my nose or something?"

"No, not at all," Jake said with a grin. "It's just refreshing to be out with a girl who actually eats, for a change."

Emma rolled her hazel eyes. "If you'd date women who weren't supermodel wannabes, you wouldn't have that problem," she said pointedly.

Jake shrugged. "Hey, it's not like I _want _to date those women. Daniel's the one who keeps fixing me up with them."

He glanced wryly at Emma. "He's like a male version of you sometimes."

Emma snorted. "Please! Give me some credit. I'd never fix you up with those types of women."

She shuddered, remembering one particularly hideous date of Jake's, who'd spent the night talking endlessly about her goal to be the next Paris Hilton.

"So, I wouldn't have to worry about dating the next Paris Hilton, if you were to fix me up," he teased. She grinned. He'd read her mind as usual.

"No way!" She thought for a minute. "You need someone who's gutsy, intelligent, playful, capable of engaging in a decent conversation, won't take any crap from you..."

She could have continued, but was distracted by the approaching waitress.

"Oh, good. It looks like my food's finally here!" she exclaimed in delight.

Emma hadn't intended for her voice to carry, but the waitress had obviously heard her remark and blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry about the wait," she said nervously. "The chef's been busy and... _whoa!"_

It all happened so fast. One minute, the waitress was leaning over to put Emma's food down and the next, a small toddler ran by. And then there was a gasp of surprise from Emma and a shriek from the waitress as it started raining vanilla milkshake and pickled onions.

Ever the gentleman, Jake quickly grabbed some serviettes. He handed a few to Emma and hastily began mopping the spills on their table.

"Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry," the waitress babbled, her cheeks turning an even brighter red. "Are you alright?"

Emma looked up and smiled, feeling sorry for the young waitress who looked about the same age as her. She glanced down at her blue sundress, but there didn't appear to be any visible stains.

"Sure, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," she assured warmly and the waitress smiled gratefully.

"Oh, I'm glad! You won't tell my boss what happened, will you? This is only my first week at this job and he's already threatened to fire me three times."

"Seriously, not a problem... Henrietta," Emma insisted, her sharp eyes taking note of the girl's nametag. "I'm Emma, by the way, and this is Jake."

"Nice to meet you," Jake nodded.

"Nice to meet _you," _Henrietta said, looking much more cheerful, now that she knew Emma and Jake wouldn't be making a complaint about her.

She smiled gratefully again and quickly started to gather up the remnants of Emma's meal. "I'll make sure you get a fresh burger and milkshake straight away," she promised.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Emma said airily, having decided that she couldn't wait another 40 minutes for her food. She'd make Jake go through the drive-thru at Macca's instead. "We'll just get the bill."

"Of course," Henrietta agreed. A few minutes later, she was back with their bill and Jake immediately pulled out his wallet.

Emma waved him away. "My shout," she said, handing the money to Henrietta.

Jake frowned. "Are you sure? That hardly seems fair, considering that you didn't really eat."

"Yeah, it's fine. You can buy me dinner tomorrow," Emma suggested.

"Deal," Jake agreed readily. "I'll go pick up the car now. Meet you outside in five?"

"Sure thing," Emma said cheerfully.

"Your boyfriend's really nice," Henrietta commented, watching Jake walk away.

Emma smiled. She was used to people making this assumption. Being as close to Jake as she was, she supposed it was only a natural assumption to make.

"He _is _nice, but he's not my boyfriend," she said lightly. "He's my best friend. We grew up together."

Henrietta sighed. "You're still lucky. I wouldn't be able to get a guy like that to even hang out with me, let alone date me." Her tone wasn't bitter, just wistful.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked in surprise.

Henrietta laughed sarcastically. "Well... just look at me!"

Emma scrutinised the girl closely and wasn't sure why she had such low self-esteem. She thought Henrietta was very attractive, with her reddish-brown wavy hair and emerald-green eyes.

Sure, she didn't look like a raving beauty right then, but what girl would when her hair was pinned back and she was wearing an unflattering white uniform? Emma thought Henrietta was being too hard on herself.

"Are you joking? You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen!" Emma exclaimed honestly.

Henrietta smiled shyly. "Thank you, but I've learned the hard way that guys don't care about your pretty eyes if they don't like the rest of the package."

She looked longingly at Emma. "I'd do _anything _to be like you – stylish, beautiful, confident, easygoing..."

"Oh, please don't call me stylish. You obviously haven't seen the photos from my '80s phase," Emma joked. But the earnest expression on Henrietta's face told her that the girl was dead serious.

And it was then that Emma suddenly had her marvellous idea.

Jake needed a decent woman. Henrietta was clearly in need of a decent man. Jake couldn't find a decent woman. Henrietta had as much admitted that she couldn't find a decent man.

Henrietta obviously already found Jake attractive... and although she wasn't sure that Jake had found Henrietta attractive, this was where she could come in.

Who better than she, who had known Jake all her life, to find the perfect woman for him?

She wouldn't breathe a word to Jake. He'd made enough disparaging comments about her habit of matchmaking in the past. No, she would wait until Jake had fallen for Henrietta and only then would she reveal the part that she had played in their relationship.

She smiled in satisfaction. _Jake Knightley, you are no match for the genius that is Emma Woodhouse._

"Are you alright, Emma?"

Henrietta's puzzled voice interrupted Emma's whirlwind of thoughts.

She came down to earth rapidly and smiled apologetically at her new friend. 

"Sorry, Henrietta. Guess I just spaced out for a couple of minutes."

"No problem. My brother gets that look when I start talking about the possibility of life on other planets," Henrietta said earnestly.

Emma stifled her grimace. _Henrietta was interested in that kind of thing?_

Jake was as open-minded as the next man, but he was far too down-to-earth to actually take things like that seriously.

_Then again, love might change him, _she thought optimistically. _And believing in life on other planets is a lot less weird than wanting to be the next Paris Hilton._

There was a beep out front and Emma looked up to see Jake leaning on his horn. She had forgotten all about her promise to meet him out front.

"It was nice to meet you, Henrietta," she said hastily, picking up her bag. "Listen, I was wondering, would you like to maybe hang out sometime?"

The look of awe on Henrietta's face was quite gratifying.

"Seriously? I'd love that," she replied eagerly.

"Good. Just put your number in my phone and I'll give you a ring," Emma said.

As she walked out the front door, she couldn't help smiling with satisfaction. For she was about to make two people's dreams come true.

_**Author's Note: If this chapter came as a surprise to you... well, you should know that it came as a surprise to me too! I had something very different in mind, but once my muse started taking over, it was hard to get back to my original plans.**_

_**Thanks and slices of virtual pecan pie to those who reviewed the last chapter – iambbq, ChocolateIsMyDrug, FaithIsDelusion, Ski Can and Lady Dudley. =)**_

_**So, I'm currently sick in bed right now. Can't stop sneezing or coughing and I'm feeling utterly miserable. Some reviews for this chapter would really brighten up my day!**_


	4. Of Plans and Persuasion

"Wow! I can't believe that's really me," Henrietta whispered reverently, gazing at her reflection in rapture.

Emma smiled proudly, pleased with her handiwork. "So you like it?" she asked.

"Like it? I _love _it!" Henrietta gushed enthusiastically, as she touched her newly layered hair gingerly. She glanced at Emma in awe.

"Emma, you're so talented. You should be a hairdresser. Seriously. "

Emma grinned. "Well, if my Arts degree doesn't work out, maybe I'll open up a beauty salon."

She'd dabbled in the art of hairdressing a few years ago, using Isabella, Jake and her father as practice models before she'd quickly tired of it and had moved onto life drawing classes. She was secretly relieved that Henrietta's hair had turned out so well – it had been a long time since she'd last picked up a pair of styling scissors.

"Not to boast about my hairdressing skills or anything, but your hair looks fantastic," she told Henrietta sincerely.

The redhead blushed, a pink flush spreading across her fair complexion.

"Do you really think so?" she asked eagerly. She hesitated. "Well, what I really mean to say is... do you think a guy would think so?"

"Of course. Did you have a particular guy in mind?" Emma asked curiously.

Henrietta's blush deepened and she began to play with the ends of her hair. "Well... maybe," she confessed.

Emma smiled at Henrietta's shyness. It was so obvious that she liked Jake. She had to restrain herself from jumping up and down in triumph. Her plan was already working.

"Oh, really? Do tell," she said casually, hoping that the smugness in her tone wasn't too obvious.

Henrietta smiled self-consciously. "Well, I've never actually met him in person," she admitted. "We met online in this discussion forum and then we started chatting on MSN and one thing kind of led to another..."

Emma's hazel eyes widened in alarm. This was certainly not what she'd expected Henrietta to say!

"You met the guy online but you've never actually met him in real life," she repeated slowly, hoping against hope that she'd heard incorrectly.

Henrietta nodded brightly. "But we're planning on meeting in real life soon. He wrote me this really lovely email, asking to meet me in person."

Her smile broadened. "And now that I have this great haircut, I'm really looking forward to it," she said eagerly.

Henrietta's countenance dimmed somewhat as she took in the look of disapproval on her friend's face. "Is something wrong, Emma?" she asked anxiously.

Emma coughed. "Well, it's just..." She hesitated. "You met him _online?_ Isn't that kinda dangerous?"

"Yeah, we met online," Henrietta said quietly. "But I'm sure he's not a serial killer or a stalker or anything bad. He can't be. His emails are so sweet and sensitive."

"Well, he wouldn't be a very good serial killer if his emails were psychotic and turned you off," Emma said dryly.

Henrietta coloured. "I _know _he's a nice guy, OK?" she replied defensively. She pulled out her phone and tapped a few keys quickly.

"Just read this email from him. Doesn't he sound like a nice guy?"

Emma reluctantly took Henrietta's phone and obediently scrolled through the message.

She was surprised to find that PlanetMan, as he called himself, seemed reasonably intelligent and articulate, but she was disturbed by his constant references to intergalactic communication and futuristic technology. The guy certainly didn't seem to be a psycho... but he did sound like a major geek. And that was _not _what Emma wanted for Henrietta. Even without meeting him, she could tell that he just wasn't good enough for her new friend.

Henrietta looked at Emma anxiously, waiting for her response.

"Well, he certainly sounds like a smart guy," Emma said carefully, as she handed the phone back.

Henrietta's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes, he is! He wrote this amazing paper on the Drake Equation in just one night!"

Seeing Emma's confused face, she grinned. "It's an equation used to estimate the number of detectable extraterrestrial civilisations in the Milky Way galaxy," she explained.

"Uh-huh," Emma said slowly. "Look, Henrietta, like I was saying, he seems like a smart guy, but... are you sure he's the kind of guy you'd be interested in?"

Henrietta's brow furrowed. "Why not?"

Emma paused as she considered her next words carefully. She decided it was necessary to give Henrietta a bit of a push.

"Because I happen to know that Jake said you were really nice," she said slowly, crossing her fingers behind her back. It wasn't _really _a lie – Jake had said something along those lines.

Well, actually he'd said that it was a shame that Henrietta was such a clumsy waitress, but that she seemed like a nice girl, but that was close enough, wasn't it?

Henrietta blinked. "Jake said that? About me?"

"Oh, yeah," Emma said with a nod. "Hey, if you're free tonight, you should come to Jake's place. We're having a small party down there and I'm sure he'd love to see you again."

"Wow! Of course I'll come," Henrietta said in a dazed tone. Then she stiffened. "But what should I wear?"

Emma chuckled. "I've got something in my wardrobe that will be perfect."

Half an hour later, Henrietta was twirling happily in a borrowed outfit from Emma's wardrobe. The green minidress fitted her perfectly and went well with the flat gold sandals she'd already been wearing.

"I love it, Emma!" she said happily. "I've got to go home and work on an assignment now, but I'll definitely see you tonight!"

"OK, I'll see you tonight," Emma said with a grin. She waved goodbye and closed the door as her new friend headed up the Woodhouse driveway.

"Yes!" she whispered, pumping her fist in the air when Henrietta was out of earshot. She had successfully distracted Henrietta from her online friend and Operation Jake and Henrietta was well underway. Now all she had to do was convince Jake to have a party that night.

She shot a glance at the clock. Almost 3pm. Jake must be in his office. She reached for the phone and quickly dialled his work number.

"Hello, this is Knightley and Craig. How may I help you?"

Emma groaned silently at the sound of Kathy Bates' tinny voice. Miss Bates was Jake's secretary and she was far too chatty for Emma's liking. However there was no avoiding her today. Jake wasn't very reliable about answering texts or calls on his mobile during work hours and she needed to speak to him directly.

"Hi Miss Bates, this is Emma. May I speak to Jake, please? It's very important," she added firmly, hoping that this might dissuade the secretary from making small talk.

No such luck.

"Oh, hello, Emma! Long time no chat," Miss Bates said cheerfully. "How have you been, my dear?"

"Fine, thanks. Now, can I please talk to..."

"And how are your studies going? I hope you're keeping up with them, but then again, I'm sure you are. You're such a bright girl," Miss Bates prattled on happily.

Emma gritted her teeth and counted to ten silently. "Yes, they're fine, Miss Bates," she replied mechanically. "Can I please talk to..."

"My Jenna's such a bright girl too. Did I tell you that she won a scholarship to study piano for a semester in Sydney?"

Whenever Miss Bates mentioned her niece Jenna Fairfax, Emma _knew _it was going to be a long conversation.

"Yes, Miss Bates," she said politely.

"She'll be coming to the Conservatorium of Music for a semester and she'll be staying with me. I'm delighted, of course. Absolutely thrilled," Miss Bates continued, oblivious to Emma's growing impatience.

"Naturally her parents will miss her, but they just couldn't deny her such a wonderful opportunity..."

Emma tuned out and reluctantly let the secretary babble on for several more minutes, before she finally lost her patience. "I'm sorry, Miss Bates, but I really have to talk to Jake now," she said assertively.

"Oh, of course, dear. I'll get him for you. So lovely to talk to you again!" Miss Bates trilled.

A few minutes later, Jake's voice finally came over the line. "Emma?"

She could hear the amusement in his voice. "Did you have a nice conversation with Miss Bates?"

"Oh, don't go there," she said with a groan.

"So, what do you want?" Jake asked casually, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Emma grinned to herself. "Want? Can't a girl call her best friend during the day at work for absolutely no reason other than to say hi?" she questioned.

Jake laughed. "Em, I know that you have an ulterior motive. You'll save us both a lot of time if you just tell me what you want without beating around the bush."

"Oh, alright," Emma acquiesced. "I want to have a party at your place tonight."

"A party?" Jake repeated. "Let me think about that and get back to you. The answer is... no."

"Why not?" Emma cajoled. "I'm not talking about a _big _party – just having a few friends over for dinner and conversation. I'd do it at home, but you know how Dad is. He'll start lecturing everyone about wearing flu masks and getting their injections before winter sets in."

"Why tonight?" Jake asked bluntly. His voice darkened with suspicion. "Don't tell me that this is some kind of welcome party for Churchill or something."

"Oh, no. I don't think he's even in Sydney yet," Emma replied. "I just thought it would be fun to host a little dinner party... did I mention I'd buy the groceries and cook?"

Jake paused. "Does that mean chicken cacciatore and chocolate soufflés?"

Emma grinned. She could tell that Jake was wavering. "I was planning on crème brulee for dessert, but I can do the chicken cacciatore," she answered.

"And who would come?"

"Izzy and John, Daniel and Tay if they're back from their honeymoon, Lucas Elton... Oh, and I was thinking of inviting Henrietta."

"Henrietta? You mean that waitress we met a few days ago?"

"Yeah, her," Emma said calmly. "We've been hanging out a bit and I thought she might like to come and maybe meet some of our friends."

"You've been hanging out with her?" Jake asked in surprise.

"Oh, yeah. She's a really sweet girl. Very kind and caring and all that."

"You're up to something, aren't you?" Jake asked warily. He paused as he reflected upon Emma's suggested guest list. "Hang on... you're not seriously thinking of doing what I think you are... are you?"

"That depends. What do you think I'm doing?" Emma asked saucily, her heart beating a little more quickly. Had Jake figured out her plan before she'd even had the chance to put it into action?

"I think you're planning on doing some matchmaking."

"Oh, really? And who would I be matchmaking with?" Emma asked quickly, glad that Jake couldn't see her guilty expression over the phone.

"It's pretty obvious, don't you think?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Jake sighed. "Admit it, Emma. God knows _why, _but you're actually contemplating a match between Henrietta and Lucas Elton."

Emma breathed a hurried sigh of relief. Jake hadn't figured out her plan after all.

"That's a rather big assumption to make," she said haughtily.

"Knowing your propensity for interfering with people's love lives, I would say it's a pretty safe bet," he taunted.

Emma's temper flared. "Well, even if I _was _trying to create a match between them – which I'm _not,_" she emphasised. "..Would it really be such a bad thing? I mean, Lucas is an eligible single guy and he hasn't gone out with anyone since he broke up with his last girlfriend."

"With all due respect, Emma, he's been dating plenty of women – he just hasn't had a relationship that's progressed beyond a weekend fling."

"Maybe he just needs to meet the right woman," Emma countered stubbornly. She hadn't intended to get caught up in an argument about Lucas Elton, especially as she wasn't planning on fixing Lucas Elton up at all. But she could never let Jake get away with winning an argument, even if he _was _a trained lawyer.

"And you think the right woman for him is Henrietta?"

"Love works in mysterious ways."

Jake snorted. "Well, I've got to get back to a client now, so I give up. Have the party at my place. Invite Henrietta and Lucas. Make the chicken cacciatore and crème brulee. Just remember that Lucas is in his late twenties and that he's more than capable of finding a date... or several... for himself."

"Yes, Mr Knightley," Emma said teasingly.

As he hung up the phone, Jake couldn't help grinning at Emma's combination of charm and bull-headed obstinacy. It really was a shame that she'd chosen to do an Arts degree. She would've made a bloody good lawyer.

He had no idea whether Emma would heed his advice in regards to Lucas Elton or not. Somehow he didn't think so. It was unlike her to back down from one of her ideas, especially once she'd been challenged.

Jake had a feeling that it would be an interesting evening. He just didn't know_ how _interesting it would be.

_**Author's Note: Thanks to ChocolateIsMyDrug, Lady Dudley, FaithIsDelusion, SkiCan, iambbq, Kate, Kaali Oppenheimer and The Starry Puzzle for your reviews and get-well wishes! As per FaithIsDelusion's request, virtual slices of (calorie-free) chocolate mud cake for you all. =)**_

_**Thoughts on this chapter?**_


	5. Of Dinner Parties and Disasters

"Great dinner, Em."

Emma spun around at the sound of Lucas Elton's voice and flashed him a dimpled smile.

It wasn't hard to smile at Lucas. Tall and broad-shouldered, with sandy blond hair and blue eyes the colour of a summer sea, he was very easy on the eyes. His charm and affability certainly didn't hurt him any, nor did his very healthy bank balance. He attracted women like bees to honey, but hadn't dated anyone since he'd broken with his last girlfriend.

_Hmm, maybe I should find someone for Lucas, _Emma mused, a smile curving her lips. _He's a nice guy and it doesn't look like he's had much luck finding the right girl himself..._

Then she reluctantly dismissed the thought. She already had her hands full with Jake and Henrietta and knew she'd be better off concentrating on one match at a time.

"Thanks, Lucas. I'm glad you enjoyed it," she said cheerfully. "I have to admit it probably wasn't one of my better efforts, though. I think the chicken turned out a little dry this time."

"Are you kidding? It was amazing!" Lucas enthused. "I reckon you should go on Masterchef – you'd be great!"

"You'd better stop complimenting me – I can feel my head starting to swell," Emma laughed.

As Lucas continued to wax lyrical about her cooking skills, Emma's hazel eyes darted towards the corner of Jake's living room, where she had left him with Henrietta about ten minutes ago. She had struck up a conversation about biology, knowing it was something Henrietta was passionate about and something that Jake was interested in too. She figured drawing attention to their common interests was the way to go.

To her chagrin, she noticed that Jake and Henrietta were no longer standing together. Jake and Daniel were hanging out in the kitchen and chatting, whilst Henrietta was sitting on the couch, talking animatedly to another guy.

_Wait a minute, _Emma realised suddenly. _That's no ordinary guy. That's Rob Martin she's talking to!_

Emma narrowed her eyes. She didn't know what Rob Martin was doing at the party, but she didn't like the way Henrietta was coyly giggling and eagerly talking to him.

Despite her idiosyncrasies, Emma felt that Henrietta was way out of Rob Martin's league. She had to nip this in the bud right now.

"I'm so sorry, Lucas, I've got to go talk to somebody," she apologised. "We'll catch up later, okay?"

"Oh! Yeah, sure, Emma," Lucas replied, looking oddly disappointed by the abrupt ending to their conversation.

But Emma didn't notice the disappointed look on his face. She was already heading across the room and making her way towards Henrietta and Rob.

**XX**

"Well, if you consider the Gaia hypothesis..." Henrietta was saying earnestly, and Rob appeared to be hanging on her every word.

Neither of them appeared to notice Emma and she was forced to clear her throat to get their attention.

"Ahem."

The pair looked up in surprise, obviously startled.

"Hello, Emma," Rob greeted cordially.

Emma forced a friendly smile to her face. "Hi Rob," she replied coolly. "I didn't know you'd be here."

"Oh, I gave Jake my spare tyre the other day and he invited me to the party tonight as a thank-you," Rob explained.

"Oh, I see," Emma muttered. It all made sense now. Jake was the kindest guy she knew and he could never let a good deed go unrepaid.

"I'm very glad to have been invited. Your food was delicious, Emma," Rob commented politely. "I especially enjoyed the chicken cacciatore."

"Oh, thank you. I'm happy you liked it. I actually made it because it's _Jake's_ favourite," Emma answered, turning to look at Henrietta as she emphasised Jake's name.

She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting - a blush, perhaps? A demure lowering of the eyes? Any sort of visible reaction would have been appreciated – anything that would tell her whether Henrietta was attracted to Jake.

But she was severely disappointed because Henrietta didn't appear to react at all to Jake's name.

_OK, so that's perfectly natural, _Emma reasoned. _I am Jake's best friend, after all. Henrietta's not going to spill her guts about her feelings to me. The only way I'm going to witness the sparks is if I see them together._

She mentally kicked herself for not observing them when she'd had the opportunity earlier on. This needed to be rectified, pronto.

It took considerable effort, but she managed to dredge up another of her winning smiles. "Please excuse us, Rob, I need to speak to Henrietta about something."

" Sure, that's fine," Rob said cheerfully.

Henrietta shot a reluctant look at Rob, clearly not wanting to put an end to their conversation.

"Can it wait, Em?" she asked hopefully.

"No, it can't," Emma said firmly. "I need to talk to you _now."_

"Okay, then," Henrietta said with a sigh. She glanced at Rob.

"It was really nice to meet you," she murmured, the tell-tale blush starting to spread across her fair complexion.

"Likewise," Rob answered, not taking his eyes off Henrietta, even as Emma dragged her away.

**XX**

Emma led Henrietta to Jake's bedroom and carefully closed the door. Satisfied that they were out of earshot, she launched into the interrogation.

"So, I see you've met Rob," she said casually.

Henrietta's eyes lit up.

"Oh, yes! He seems like a great guy," she bubbled enthusiastically.

Then she turned pleading eyes onto Emma. "Do you know if he's going out with anybody?"

Emma had to grip the edge of Jake's dresser for stability.

_Henrietta wanted to know if Rob was available? The situation was even more dire than she'd thought._

"Uh, no. Rob's not really the kind of guy that attracts many girls," she murmured. She hated sounding so snotty, but reassured herself that sometimes you had to be cruel to be kind.

Henrietta turned away, but not before Emma caught the starry-eyed expression of hope in her friend's eyes.

"Why not? He's got so much going for him. He's smart, he's friendly..."

Emma deliberated whether to argue the point, but rationalised that it wouldn't be much use talking to Henrietta while she was in this state of mind. The only way to get Rob Martin out of her head was to make another guy appear even more attractive in her friend's eyes.

_Luckily Jake's pretty much perfect, so that shouldn't be too difficult, _she thought. _Plus Henrietta seems to have forgotten about her online pen pal – so she clearly has a short attention span._

She opened the door and peeked out tentatively. To her delight, Jake was sitting on his own. It was the perfect opportunity to see whether there was any chemistry between him and Henrietta.

"Oh, look, Jake's sitting alone," she interjected smoothly. "Let's go talk to him."

Henrietta agreed readily, and if she wondered why Emma hadn't replied to her comment about Rob, she didn't bring it up.

Jake glanced up as they walked over and made a show of sticking out his stomach and patting it.

"I'm seriously stuffed. I don't think I'll ever be able to eat again."

"You say that now, but you'll be eating a huge breakfast by tomorrow morning," Emma teased playfully.

Jake grinned. "You know me too well."

"I'm really full too. You make the best crème brulee I've ever tasted, Emma," Henrietta added. "Actually I've never even tasted crème brulee before, but I thought it was yummy."

Emma smiled, pleased, and was about to reply when Jake interrupted.

"Don't compliment her too much, Henrietta. Her ego won't fit through the door afterwards," he joked.

Although Jake's jest was very similar to what Emma had told Lucas earlier, she somehow felt a little stung. It was one thing joking about her ego to other people; it felt like something totally different when Jake was doing the teasing. Sometimes she felt like he went out of his way to put her down and make her feel self-conscious about things that she'd accomplished. And she didn't understand why it was so hard for her to win his approval, or indeed why she even wanted to.

"Oh, you know _me _too well, Jake," she answered lightly, hoping her tone didn't sound too clipped. Now was not the time to get into an argument with Jake, anyway – not when she had a plan to carry out.

**XX**

After spending a good twenty minutes observing the chemistry (or lack of) between Jake and Henrietta, Emma felt rather disappointed. Whilst Jake was polite and gentlemanly and Henrietta was clearly eager to talk, the sparks that she had been hoping for just didn't seem to be there.

It probably hadn't helped that she was still feeling slighted by Jake's teasing and hadn't put much effort into participating in the conversation. Instead she'd found herself nodding absentmindedly and grunting occasionally, as though she were a million miles away.

Jake could tell that something was wrong. Consequently he kept trying to catch Emma's eye and draw her into the conversation, instead of getting to know Henrietta. His actions had led _Henrietta _to realise that something was wrong and then _she _had joined forces with Jake, in trying to get Emma to talk.

_It would've turned into such a big mess if Lucas hadn't come over, _Emma reflected.

She'd never felt quite so relieved to see him and she knew her feelings of relief had probably showed on her face. Lucas had been pleasantly surprised by Emma's enthusiastic welcome and sure enough, he'd brightened up the conversation considerably.

Upon learning that Henrietta was Emma's new friend, he'd paid quite a bit of attention to her and Henrietta had blossomed under his attentions like a flower starting to bloom.

It was then that Emma had her _second _great idea. Henrietta and Jake might not be compatible, but perhaps Henrietta and _Lucas _were.

And as the conversation progressed, she was sure that she was right this time. At the end of the dinner party, Lucas made a special point of inviting her, Jake _and _Henrietta to a party that was being held in his off-campus share house that weekend.

Lucas and his housemates were renowned for their big bashes and even more so for their exclusivity. Not just anyone could get in the door at their parties and the fact that Henrietta had snagged a personal invite spoke measures. Emma made a point of pulling Henrietta aside and telling her this.

**XX**

"Do you really think he might like me? I can't imagine a guy like him wanting someone like me!" Henrietta said excitedly.

"You're pretty, you're intelligent and no matter what you think, you are definitely worthy of him," Emma retorted. "You just need a bit more confidence."

Henrietta flushed prettily, her eyes dreamy. Then she looked slightly alarmed and turned to Emma anxiously.

"But Emma, I agreed to meet up with Rob on Saturday night. That means I can't go to the party."

"Sure you can. Just cancel with Rob," Emma told her calmly.

Henrietta looked extremely reluctant and Emma realised that she might have won the battle, but she hadn't yet won the war. Lucas Elton was a formidable distraction, but in Henrietta's mindset, Rob Martin certainly was too.

Seeing Henrietta's hesitation, she quickly jumped in.

"It's not like you can't postpone meeting up with Rob, but you definitely can't postpone Lucas' party. And trust me, I've been to his parties before – they're legendary."

"I suppose you're right," Henrietta said slowly. "And it _was _really nice of Lucas to invite me."

"So...?" Emma prompted.

Henrietta grinned. "So I guess I'm going to the party, after all."

Emma beamed back at her friend. She was sure she could get Henrietta and Lucas together by the end of that party.

**XX**

"So that went pretty well," Jake commented, as he rinsed the last of Emma's dishes and handed it to her.

"Mmm," Emma murmured noncommittally as she dried the dish and then wrung out her tea towel.

Jake glanced at her warily. Emma had been giving him the silent treatment since Henrietta and Lucas had left and he wondered what was wrong.

"Is everything okay, Emma?" he asked cautiously.

Emma bit her lip, as she wondered how she should respond. She was definitely still upset with Jake and hadn't forgiven him for his earlier remark about her ego. It seemed like such a petty thing to be pissed about, but it wasn't as though that remark had been a one-off. For some reason that she didn't quite understand, Jake seemed to really enjoy putting her in her place. Admittedly she deserved it sometimes... but not all the time... and not tonight.

And why was she the only person that he put down? He didn't treat anyone else like this.

She normally had no qualms about being 100% honest with Jake. He was more than an ordinary best friend – he knew her better than anyone else in the world. Yet she had never been able to bring up this long-standing hurt with him. She wasn't sure why.

Perhaps it was because Jake was normally so perfect in her eyes and so she tried to ignore this glaring flaw. Perhaps it was because she worried that it really wasn't a big deal and she was making more of it than she should.

And perhaps... perhaps part of her was afraid that he really _did _think she was proud and arrogant and that if she confronted him, he would be forced to reveal his true feelings about her character. And she _knew _she wouldn't able to bear that. No, it was better not to say anything.

"I'm fine," she lied glibly. She should've known that Jake wouldn't be satisfied with such a pat response.

"I know when you're lying, Emma," he said sternly. "You don't mean to do it, but you have a very distinctive tic when you're lying. Your left eyebrow twitches."

"No, it doesn't!" Emma protested.

Jake hid a smile, and sure enough, the tell-tale eyebrow twitch was forthcoming.

"Come on, Em," he said soothingly. "Tell me what's wrong."

Slightly panicked, Emma blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"_Why don't you like Henrietta?"_

Jake blinked in surprise. Whatever he had been expecting Emma to say, this clearly wasn't it.

"Why don't I like Henrietta?" he repeated, a bewildered expression in his green eyes. "I don't know what you mean. I don't have a problem with her. Like I told you, she's a nice girl."

Emma rolled her eyes. "No, why don't you _like _like her?" she whined and then blushed, suddenly aware that she sounded like a high schooler and an immature one at that.

Jake paused. "Honestly? She's not my type."

"What, just because she doesn't want to be the next Paris Hilton?" Emma challenged cuttingly.

Jake stepped back a little at the vehemence in her tone.

"Look, Em, I don't know why you're picking a fight about this. Is it such a big deal to you?"

"Yes!" Emma replied defiantly. "Jake, you are _never _going to find the right woman in the state that you're in now! Henrietta is pretty, intelligent, kind-hearted, sweet, vivacious... what _more _do you want? I'm beginning to think that you really _are _just as superficial as the rest of the male gender! You're no better than the rest of them!"

Emma immediately regretted her impulsive explosion. Jake looked taken aback – no, taken aback was too mild a description. He looked _floored._ And the hurt in his eyes was almost unbearable for her to look at.

"Is that really what you think, Em?" he asked quietly.

It was her opportunity to apologise and instantly try to make things right. But she was still upset and not thinking clearly.

"Well, I don't see _why _you can't at least give Henrietta a chance," she replied coolly. "You've dated every illiterate bimbo in Sydney – would it kill you to try and date a _nice girl?"_

Jake shook his head mutely. There was so much he wanted to say, but he knew that saying it now wouldn't do either of them any good.

Emma sighed. "I'm going home. Maybe we can talk when we're both feeling better," she said quietly.

Under normal circumstances, Jake would have offered to drive her home, even though she only lived around the corner. It would normally be an excuse for them to hang out just a little bit longer. But he didn't make the offer tonight. He simply nodded wordlessly and turned away, not trusting himself to speak.

As Emma's footsteps sounded down the hall, Jake sighed and sank into a chair.

"Why can't I date Henrietta?" he said aloud to himself.

Everything Emma had said was absolutely true. Henrietta was quite attractive, clearly had a lot of brains, she was easy to talk to, she was a good listener...

His gaze went towards a framed photograph of himself and Emma, taken at her Year 12 formal. She'd been so proud to be bringing an older guy as her date and in the photograph, she was beaming excitedly.

He slowly got up and moved towards the photograph, tracing the features of Emma's lovely face – the curve of her cheek, a few loose tendrils of blonde hair, her soft full lips.

"Why can't I date Henrietta?" he repeated to the girl in the photograph.

"Because she's not you."

_**Author's Note: Thank you to iambbq, ChocolateIsMyDrug, Lady Dudley, FaithIsDelusion, and chell01 for your feedback on the last chapter. Reviews are fuel for the writer's pen and I really appreciate them! =)**_

"


	6. Of Meetings and Misunderstandings

"He's got a thing for her, don't you think?" Taylor Weston mused out loud, as she kicked her black stilettos off and sighed with relief as she sat down.

Her husband glanced at her curiously, as he fiddled with his shirt.

"Who are you talking about, sweetie?"

Taylor rolled her eyes. Men could be so oblivious sometimes.

"Isn't it obvious? From the way he was dancing attendance on her tonight, it's clear that Lucas Elton has a crush on our Emma."

"Lucas and Emma?" Daniel murmured thoughtfully. A slight frown creased his forehead. "Nah, I can't see it."

"Men!" Taylor said with a laugh. "You wouldn't notice an elephant in the room if you were watching State of Origin."

"Hey, I resent that! That's slander," Daniel chuckled. "I could have you sued for that, you know. I bet Jake would represent me."

"Jake wouldn't waste his time on a silly case like that," Taylor replied flippantly as she wiggled out of the simple black dress she'd been wearing. "Besides you're still wrong. Lucas totally has the hots for Emma. Wouldn't they be a great couple? Can you imagine how gorgeous their kids would be?"

"Slow down, Miss Matchmaker," Daniel teased. "Let the girl finish uni before you start conceptualising her future children. You don't want to freak her out."

Taylor looked at him disparagingly. "How did I wind up marrying such an unromantic guy? I should've held out until after I'd met your cousin Frank."

"You didn't _know _who my cousin Frank was until Emma mentioned him at our reception!"

Taylor waved her hand dismissively. "Mere details."

Her husband pretended to pout and she giggled. He moved to sit beside her and wrapped her in his arms, pulling into a warm embrace.

"Mmm," she murmured breathlessly a few minutes later. "OK, I concede – you do have your romantic points."

Daniel smiled smugly. "So I've still got it, have I?"

"You do," his wife affirmed with a grin. "ButI still maintain that I'm right about Emma and Lucas. I bet he'll ask her out by the end of the semester." She frowned thoughtfully. "No, by the end of the month."

Daniel shook his head slowly. "I still can't see it," he admitted.

"What's to see? They're both young, attractive, intelligent, sociable... it doesn't exactly take rocket science to see potential for those two," Taylor commented dryly.

"Tay, if it was that easy to find a good match, online dating and personals ads would not exist. Not to mention _Sex and the City..."_

"I'm not disputing that it's _hard," _Taylor argued. "But you're acting like their astrological signs have to be perfectly in alignment or something."

"Now _that's _a good idea," Daniel quipped and Taylor smirked.

"Honestly, though, I always saw Emma ending up with Jake. I mean, they're so close and all..."

"_Jake?" _Taylor exclaimed in astonishment. "He's practically her _brother. _That's just wrong!"

"He's her brother-in-law," Daniel corrected. "It's not as though they're blood related."

"Well, they have the same nephews," Taylor pointed out sassily.

Daniel shrugged. "Well, that makes it even more perfect – they already have the same family, they'll just be knitting them even more closely together."

Taylor giggled. "I've changed my mind. You are _definitely _a romantic."

"It took you _that _long to realise?"

"That's your fault – you don't show this side of you often enough," Taylor said jokingly.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "I'll have to amend that, then. Starting right now."

It didn't take much persuasion for Taylor to forget all about Emma, Lucas and Jake. All she could think about now was how lucky she was to have found _her _perfect match.

**XX**

Emma ran blindly out of Jake's townhouse, blinking back the traitorous tears welling up in her hazel eyes.

_What had just happened? How had such a great night suddenly ended up so horribly wrong?_

She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings and was completely taken by surprise when she slammed into something solid. The muscular body of Lucas Elton, to be precise.

"Oh!" she groaned, rubbing her throbbing temple gingerly. She knew she'd have a bruise by the next day.

"Emma! Are you alright?" Lucas asked in alarm. "I'm really sorry!"

Emma forced herself to smile at the irony of Lucas apologising for her slamming into him.

"It's not your fault, Lucas," she hastily reassured him. "I wasn't looking where I was going and I ran straight into you. I'm the one who should be apologising."

Lucas jangled his car keys nervously. "Well, maybe this was a good thing. I was just thinking you might want a lift home... save Jake the trouble of having to drive," he said hesitantly.

Emma snorted. "Oh, I don't think Jake wants to drive me anywhere right now."

"Did you have a fight?" Lucas questioned.

Emma was surprised to see what looked like a slight smile on Lucas' otherwise stoic face. He was eagerly anticipating her answer, almost as though he _wanted _her and Jake to have had a fight.

But that was ridiculous... wasn't it?

"Kinda," she admitted reluctantly. "It was sort of stupid, actually."

To her horror, she felt the tears starting to well up again and she turned away quickly, but not quickly enough.

"He made you _cry?" _Lucas exclaimed incredulously. He clenched his fist. "I've got a good mind to go back in there..."

"No, don't be silly!" Emma blurted, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her jacket. "Jake didn't really do anything wrong. I'm just being a crybaby."

"Hey, we all need to let our emotions out sometime," Lucas said kindly.

He put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "You've had a long day. Come on, I'll drive you home."

Emma opened her mouth to protest and then closed it again. It _would _be nice to have a lift home.

**XX**

As his front door slammed behind Emma, it took Jake a total of roughly ten seconds to realise that he should go after her.

He gently replaced the photograph in its place of honour and then bolted out his front door, not bothering to turn the key in the lock. He groaned in frustration when he noticed that the building's only elevator was already on the ground floor.

Well, he could wait the indefinite amount of time it would take for the infamously slow lift to return to the seventh floor, or...

He made a dash for the stairs.

After four levels, he was horrified to find himself puffing and forced himself to slow down his pace a little. He didn't want to be wheezing while trying to sputter out an apology to Emma.

_I really need to get back to the gym, _he thought with a sigh. There was a nice gym in the large complex he lived in, but somehow he'd never gotten around to visiting it. It was just way too hard to motivate himself to go after a long day at the office.

He had joined a prestigious city gym when it had first opened in Sydney, simply because he'd been dating Caroline at the time and she'd urged him to. But after they'd broken up, he'd stopped going, afraid of seeing her and of what he might do if he saw her.

_Now's not the time to be thinking about Caroline. Think about Emma, _his conscience chided him. And that thought somehow spurred him on, giving him a boost of extra strength to finish off the remaining three levels of stairs.

He slowed to a casual walk as he walked outside, but his heart was still racing.

_Maybe it's time I told her how I feel, _he thought suddenly. _Maybe I should just tell her the truth – explain why I can't have feelings for Henrietta or any of the other girls I've tried dating._

He might have been in his early thirties, but he felt as giddy as a teenager asking out his first crush. _Even if Emma had already left, he could just head to her place_, he reasoned.

He'd had the foresight to stuff his keys in his pocket, even if he hadn't actually managed to lock his front door. But he was friends with all his neighbours and non-residents couldn't access the building without being let in by security, so he wasn't overly concerned about getting robbed in the meantime.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jake caught glimpse of a flash of silver and grinned when he recognised the silvery top Emma had been wearing that evening. He breathed a sigh of relief. She was still here.

He was about to call out her name when he noticed the guy with his arm draped around Emma's shoulders. It was none other than Lucas Elton. Jake gritted his teeth.

_Of course! How could he have been so blind?_

_Emma hadn't been trying to fix up Henrietta and Lucas – she had been making a play for Lucas herself!_

_And why shouldn't she? He was single... she was single... Yes, it all made perfect sense now._

_All the hints she'd dropped about Lucas being a great catch and not having dated anyone steadily since his last girlfriend, ignoring his comments about Lucas' playboy character, the look of delight in her eyes when Lucas had interrupted their conversation that evening..._

Jake's heart sank. How could he ever compare to a guy like _Lucas? _Even Henrietta, who'd only heard of him a few days ago, had already fallen under the spell of his charms.

_It only confirms what you've known along, doesn't it? _muttered a pessimistic little voice in his head.

_You can be Emma's best friend. You can be Emma's brother-in-law. But you can NEVER be the man of dreams._

As Jake turned slowly back towards his complex, a line of poetry suddenly came to his mind. He'd studied Tennyson as part of a literature appreciation class in university. He remembered having to memorise the poem _In Memoriam, _and especially this infamous line – _T'is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all._

_Clearly, _Jake thought bitterly as he got into the lift, _Tennyson had never experienced what it was like to have a broken heart._

**XX**

_**Author's Note: **__Sincere thanks to iambbq, ChocolateIsMyDrug, Lady Dudley, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, chell01, toffeema, FaithIsDelusion, SkiCan, MegElemental, leechlover1901 and TheImaginationAddict for your lovely reviews of the last chapter. _

_I'm truly sorry that I haven't been updating more frequently. Real life keeps getting in the way, but I do intend to try update all my stories more regularly from now on! I definitely won't desert this story. _

_As long as wonderful readers like you are still reading this, I will keep on writing. =) _

_Keep your thoughts coming – I love hearing from you all!_


	7. Of Xmas and Exes

Lucas Elton couldn't believe his luck. He was driving _Emma Woodhouse _home.

When he'd offered to give her a lift, he certainly hadn't expected her to take him up on his offer. Everyone knew that Jake Knightley was always the one to take Emma home, regardless of how late it was or where they were. And he hadn't thought that tonight would be any different.

He'd felt obligated to make the offer, though – how else would he explain why he'd hung around Jake's complex when everyone else had already left the party? He couldn't exactly explain that he'd just been hoping to catch one last glimpse of Emma – that probably wouldn't be received well.

_Then again, _he thought hopefully, _maybe it would. She __**had**__ been acting particularly friendly lately. And she __**had **__accepted his offer of a lift. Was it time for him to tell her how he felt?_

"Here we are!" he announced cheerfully as he pulled in front of the Woodhouse's driveway.

"Thanks, Lucas," Emma said quietly, picking up her bag and opening the passenger door.

"Hey, wait!" Lucas called. He hadn't expected her to rush off quite so quickly – it was hardly how he'd pictured telling Emma how he felt about her.

She turned back, raising questioning eyes to his. "Yes?"

Lucas noticed the tired droop of her head and hesitated. _Perhaps now wasn't the best time._

"It's nothing," he said quickly. "Good night."

She looked puzzled, but smiled faintly at him and turned to leave once more. She had barely walked a few steps up the driveway when Lucas yelled again, "Wait!"

His mind was moving quickly – if he couldn't tell how he felt tonight, at least he could make plans to see her again, before the party next weekend.

"Yes?" she prodded and he snapped to attention.

" I was just wondering if you'd like to go on a picnic in the Botanic Gardens tomorrow. The weather's supposed to be really nice. And since you cooked the food tonight, I'll make sure I bring the food for tomorrow."

"Sounds like fun," she said slowly. "Who else is coming?"

Lucas mentally kicked himself for not suggesting something simpler like ice-skating or putt-putt. Now it looked like he'd not only be preparing a picnic, he'd be preparing it for a crowd!

"Uh... same people as always, I guess. Taylor and Daniel, Jake... and hey, how about your friend Henrietta?"

He wasn't sure what he had said, but Emma's hazel eyes lit up instantly.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" she bubbled. "I can't wait to see what you come up with!"

"Yeah, it'll be fun," Lucas replied, withdrawing the mental kick he'd given himself earlier. Hey, he'd invite the whole uni campus if she wanted. Anything to see that sparkle in her eyes.

He pumped his fist silently when she was out of sight. He had a sort-of date with Emma Woodhouse the next day. _Yes!_

**XX**

Emma grinned as she walked into the house, quietly closing the door behind her. She thought of the hopeful look in Lucas' eyes as he'd talked about the picnic and how he'd made a special point of mentioning Henrietta.

Sure, he had mentioned Taylor, Daniel and Jake first, but she _knew _that was just a smokescreen.

Maybe Jake Knightley didn't like Henrietta in that way, but she was now fairly confident that Lucas Elton did.

She loved it when things went the way she wanted them too. As she walked into her bedroom, she pumped her fist in the air and whispered, "Yes!"

**XX**

Isabella Knightley groaned as she turned over for the umpteenth time that evening, trying her best to find a comfortable position. Considering that she was eight and a half months pregnant, this wasn't an easy task.

"Honey, what are you doing?" John mumbled. "Go to sleep."

Isabella glared at the back of her husband's head. As much as she _adored _John, he could sometimes be immensely frustrating!

"I'm trying," she said with a groan. "I'm not doing all this shifting just to make _you _uncomfortable, you know."

"I'm sorry, Izzy," John apologised instantly. He rolled over and stroked her hair gently. "I'm an insensitive jerk."

Isabella felt her lips curve into a soft smile. How she wished her younger sister Emma could witness moments like this!

She knew that Emma felt Isabella was too good to John sometimes. On the outside, John could appear gruff and stoic, a real contrast to his older brother Jake who was naturally charming and outgoing.

_But on the inside, _Isabella thought contentedly, _he is the sweetest, most considerate teddy bear of a man._

Most people were wary of John's businesslike and seemingly unemotional demeanour. Isabella and Jake were perhaps the only two people who knew that his awkwardness was really just shyness.

"Do you want anything? Maybe some chamomile tea or hot milk?" John offered, already getting out of bed in preparation for her order.

Isabella smiled mischievously. "I don't know about hot milk, but I could sure go for some of the mini Kit Kats we bought yesterday."

John rolled his eyes. "That's the fifth bag of Kit Kats you've gone through this week! I'm beginning to think our baby will be a giant block of chocolate, since that's all the poor bub seems to be eating."

"Hey, it's the best time for me to be eating Kit Kats – I won't have to worry about getting fat. Besides I ate Snickers with Henry and Twix with Jacob and _they _turned out just fine." She looked beseechingly at her husband.

"Alright, alright," John muttered resignedly. "But _only _because I love you."

She smiled triumphantly. "I love you too."

As she watched her husband shuffle sleepily to the kitchen, she thought again about how lucky she was. Perhaps it was better that not everyone got to see John's loving side... this way, it was even more special for _her._

She rubbed her stomach gently and the baby kicked in response.

"You know what, Bub?" Isabella whispered, feeling an immense sense of love wash over her, both for her husband and for her newest little one. "You have the _best _daddy in the world."

**XX**

"Come on, come on," Emma muttered, staring at her mobile as though she could telepathically command it to ring.

It had only been four hours since she'd left the party, but this was officially the longest time that she and Jake had ever been mad at each other.

_Well, not really mad, _she amended. _And OK, it's probably not the __**longest **__time... I did go two days without speaking to him when he kidnapped my teddy bear._

_But that was when you were four and he was sixteen, _a little voice inside her mind reasoned. _You haven't had an argument like this in years._

Although Emma _technically _knew that she had started the argument, she was still somewhat miffed that Jake hadn't bothered to come after her and try to fix things. And even if he hadn't come after her, why couldn't he have called and tried to sort things out? He was supposed to be the mature one, after all.

She knew that _Cosmo _and_ CLEO _and all the other girly mags warned against women having to admit that they were wrong. She also knew that calling a man instead of waiting for him to call you was a major no-no in the rules of life. But she was tired of waiting. She just wanted to make things right with Jake.

It didn't matter to Emma that it was 4:30 in the morning. She couldn't sleep and she figured that Jake wouldn't have been able to either. Besides he often did wake up at freakishly early hours to prepare cases and read briefs. Emma giggled as she remembered a particular Christmas when she was seven...

**XX**

She'd gotten up super early that Christmas morning, hoping to get a peek at the presents Santa had left under the Christmas tree the previous night. She'd made a point of asking Santa for a make-up set that year and wanted to see if he'd brought it. She thought she'd been a good enough girl that year, but it wouldn't hurt to check.

She'd tiptoed silently out of the room that she shared with her sister, trying to be as quiet as she could. She needn't have worried too much, though – the family always joked that thirteen-year-old Izzy could sleep through a hurricane.

She'd snuck down the stairs, being careful to avoid the third last step which she knew was creaky, and made her way into the living room where the Woodhouses kept their Christmas tree. And whom should she find in the room but Jake... sitting on the couch and reading one of his law textbooks, and munching on one of the chocolate chip cookies Emma had put out the night before in anticipation of Santa's visit.

"That's Santa's cookie!" she cried reprovingly. "You shouldn't be eating that, Jake!"

Jake looked up with a start and smiled when he realised young Emma had caught him out.

"There was still one when I came down here. Santa must've been full," he joked feebly, quickly swallowing the rest of the cookie.

Emma looked disbelieving. "Santa _never _gets full. That's why he's got such a big belly, because he eats _all _of the cookies people give him."

"Well, maybe he just wanted to share."

Emma put her hands on her hips. "Santa shares presents, _not _cookies."

Jake thought fast. "Alright, squirt, you caught me. But what are you doing down here so early on Christmas morning?"

He smiled slyly. "You weren't trying to get a peek at your presents, were you?"

"No!" Emma lied emphatically, but her twitching tic had given her away.

Jake grinned at his young friend. "I'll make you a deal – you don't tell anyone that I took Santa's cookie and I won't tell anyone what you were planning to do."

"Deal," Emma said with a reluctant sigh. "Now can I see my present?"

Jake's mouth crinkled at the corner and he reached under the tree for a package wrapped in silvery paper.

"Here you go, Em. Santa must've known your new favourite colour is silver."

She tentatively peeled back a piece of sticky tape and peeked under the shiny paper. Her eyes lit up. It _was _a make-up kit and it wasn't the one she had asked Santa for... it was even better.

"Thank you, Santa!" she breathed, hugging the package to herself. She could just imagine how pretty she would look when she got to use the kit – just like the actresses in the old films her father liked watching.

"Don't forget to wrap it up again," Jake warned her, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as he observed Emma's delight.

Emma carefully rewrapped her package and placed it back under the Christmas tree. But not before she'd noticed something.

"Jake?" she said hesitantly. "Is this present really from Santa?"

Jake looked surprised. "Of course, Em! It's under the Christmas tree and that means it's got to be from Santa."

Emma paused before she replied. "But my present s for Daddy and Izzy and you and John... _they're _all under the tree. They're not from Santa."

"This one is," Jake said quickly. He glanced at the clock. "C'mon, Em, you'd better get back to bed before your father and sister wake up."

Emma cast a last thoughtful glance at her package before she slowly turned and obediently walked upstairs.

Her mind was racing furiously. She'd caught sight of the Christmas message on the label attached to her present and she'd recognised the writing. It was exactly the same as the writing on the Christmas card displayed prominently over the fireplace – Jake's Christmas card to the Woodhouse family.

Emma was too young to be able to say that the loops on the G's and Y's matched perfectly and that the feather-light touch of Jake's pen ran through both messages. But she wasn't too young to recognise that the card and the label had been written by the same person.

The news was too good to keep to herself. She instantly shook her sister out of her dreams. "Izzy! Izzy! Wake up!"

"What is it, Emma?" Isabella groaned, as she turned over to look at her younger sister, whose eyes were alight with excitement.

"I've learned the truth about Santa!" Emma bubbled.

Isabella rolled her eyes. "Congratulations. You now know that Santa's not real. Now let me go back to sleep."

She had barely closed her eyes when her little sister shook her awake again.

"_No, _Izzy," Emma insisted. "The truth about Santa isn't that he isn't real."

"Oh, really?"

"No!" Emma retorted. "I just found out the truth and I don't think I'm meant to tell. But it's OK because I didn't pinky swear."

"What's the truth?" Isabella asked wearily, longing to go back to sleep. She understood that Emma was excited about Christmas, but surely she could hold on a few more hours!

Emma lowered her voice to a whisper, so that Isabella had to lean in close to hear her.

When she spoke, her voice was filled with a mixture of fear and awe.

"Jake is Santa."

**XX**

Emma smiled fondly at the memory of her seven-year-old self. She'd thought she had put two and two together, but really she'd come up with six.

"And I'm probably being just as stupid now," she muttered to herself as she looked at her phone again. "OK, screw the rules. I'm calling Jake."

**XX**

Emma was right. Jake hadn't been able to sleep either. He'd tried every trick in the book to help him get to sleep – he'd counted sheep, drank hot cocoa and when he got really desperate, he dug up the economics lectures he'd recorded in uni and started playing them one after the other.

But it was all to no avail. He was definitely tired. But he just couldn't sleep.

He couldn't erase the picture of Emma and Lucas from his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, the image appeared and he groaned in frustration.

_Perhaps it's better this way, _he reasoned with himself. _This way, I'll be forced to move on – I won't have to tell her how I feel, things won't have to get awkward and I won't lose her friendship._

But telling himself it was better this way didn't make him _feel _any better.

Just then, his mobile rang and he looked at it in surprise. It was still fairly early in the morning and he couldn't think who it could be. The only person who called him at this time was...

_Emma._

He made a dive for his phone, missing spectacularly and landing rather ungracefully on his stomach. Fortunately his bed cushioned his fall.

He picked up his phone, which was still ringing, and frowned in confusion. He didn't recognise the number.

"Jake Knightley speaking," he said cautiously, wondering if it might be an overseas client who didn't realise what time it was in Sydney.

"Hello, Jake."

Jake stiffened. He knew that voice. For years after its owner had walked out of his life, that voice had still remained imprinted on his memory.

He couldn't believe that hearing that voice still had the same effect all these years later... but it did.

He swallowed and took a deep breath before he replied.

"Hello, Caroline."

_**Author's Note: Thanks and appreciation go to Lady Dudley, iambbq, Ami4, SkiCan, MaggieAllie, FaithIsDelusion, ToReadandWrite, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, chell01, Heathrow and moonlight08 for reviewing the previous chapter. You make me smile. You really do.**_

_**What did you think of this chapter? Drop me a line and let me know! =)**_


	8. Of Births and Babies

She laughed throatily. "So you _do _remember me."

Jake's pulse sped up a little bit at the familiar sound. How he had loved that laugh. It had been a long time since he'd last heard it.

"Of course I remember you," he said, trying to keep the surprise out of his voice. "It isn't every day that a girl breaks up with me via a message on my voicemail and doesn't even bother to give me a reason why."

There was a pause.

"Oh, Jake," Caroline said with a sigh. "You're not _still _holding a grudge against me for that, surely? It's been fourteen years!"

With difficulty, Jake swallowed the words which came to mind. Caroline Bingley might have broken his heart fourteen years ago, but the wound of being dumped without reason felt as fresh as though it had been inflicted yesterday.

"Why are you calling, Caro?" he asked coolly, and then mentally slapped himself for having slipped back into using what had once been his pet name for her.

"I've missed you," she said simply, and almost sounded sincere.

Jake couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice now. "It took you fourteen years to realise that?"

She sighed again. "Look, Jake, we were so young back then. I went to an all-girls' boarding school for most of my life – you were my first boyfriend and I didn't understand the whole relationship thing. And then the year after we broke up, my family moved to London, so it would've been hard to do the long-distance thing, anyway."

She hesitated. "Maybe calling you was a bad idea. I just wanted to let you know that I'm coming back to Sydney. I'll be back in two days. I thought it would be nice if we could catch up. Anyway, see you, Jake. Have a nice life."

"Wait!" Jake blurted before Caroline could hang up. "It would be good to catch up. Maybe we can have coffee or something."

"Or how about dinner at Tetsuya's? My shout."

Jake raised his eyebrows.

He earned a fairly hefty salary by any standards and enjoyed eating at nice restaurants now and again, but as yet, he had not been able to justify shelling out the $305 per person it would cost to sample Tetsuya's eleven-course degustation menu and accompanying wines. He knew the Bingleys were well-off, but it still seemed rather extravagant.

"I couldn't possibly allow you to..." he began.

Caroline laughed. "Oh, Jake, I can afford it. Please, allow me to treat you as an apology for how badly I behaved to you fourteen years ago."

It was clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Jake finally accepted – albeit reluctantly - and they agreed on a meeting time before hanging up.

He leaned back against his pillows and pondered about whether he should have tried to decline the invitation more firmly.

It wasn't in his nature to allow women to pay for dinner. He knew some people would think he was being chauvinistic, he preferred to think of it as being chivalrous. His father had been his greatest role model when he was young and had instructed both of his sons in the ways of good manners and courtesy, especially towards the ladies.

The one exception to this rule was Emma, who snatched the bill from Jake every now and again when they went out to dinner. But somehow he didn't feel uncomfortable about letting her pay sometimes. Perhaps it was because they were such good friends.

But letting a woman pay for dinner wasn't really what was bothering him.

He sighed and wondered what Caroline _really _wanted from him.

$305 was as an expensive price to pay for catching up with an old boyfriend. She had to have some sort of ulterior motive.

But what could it be?

**XX**

"Here you go, Iz," John said with a yawn, as he entered the bedroom, clutching a fistful of miniature Kit Kats. "Hope you don't mind, but I snuck one on the way."

He was greeted by the sight of his wife doubled over and breathing heavily.

"Izzy!" he exclaimed in alarm. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

She raised her head slowly at the sound of his voice. "I think Bub's on her way," she managed to say, before letting out an enormous groan.

"You mean on _his _way," John teased gently as he hurried to her side. "Are you sure?"

"Hey, I've given you two sons, it's time I got a girl," Isabella said defensively. "And yes, I am _definitely _sure. We need to go to the hospital now, unless you want to deliver the baby on our bedroom floor."

"Hospital – got it," John said hastily. "Just let me call Jake to look after the boys."

"Aren't you going to call Emma?" Isabella protested.

"Honey, if I get her to come now, I'll wake your father too," John pointed out. "And you know how anxious he gets when you're in labour."

"Do I ever!" Isabella chuckled, remembering how her father had acted at the hospital when she was in labour with Henry. He'd been fretting about everything so much, far more than she had, that a young nurse had mistaken him for a patient and had actually given him a sedative.

_It was good to think of something funny, _she thought. It took her mind off the excruciating pain she was experiencing right now. Her first two labours had been relatively easy, but this one was already starting out a lot more difficult than she had expected.

John turned to her. "Jake's on his way. He'll meet us at the hospital," he said quickly, picking up the bag she'd packed several months before and gently taking her arm.

Henry and Jacob, five and three years old respectively, sleepily followed their parents to the car. Both of them were slightly confused – Jacob didn't know what was going on and Henry had been too young to remember his trip to the hospital during Isabella's labour with Jacob.

"We talked about this, remember?" John explained to his sons as patiently as he could, whilst simultaneously trying to drive to the hospital as quickly as possible.

"That baby in Mummy's tummy is almost ready to come out, so we're going to the hospital. Just think – the next time we come back home, you might have a new baby brother!"

"Or sister," Isabella managed to wheeze in between contractions.

Henry nodded sagely, but Jacob was concerned. "Why is Mummy hurting?" he asked in confusion, patting his mother's shoulder comfortingly in the way his Auntie Emma always did when he felt sick.

"Because that's just what has to happen when the baby wants to come out," Isabella said patiently. "But don't worry, sweetie – I'll be OK afterwards."

"Where did the baby come from?" Henry asked innocently, deciding it was his turn to ask a question.

John shot a desperate look at his wife. "I don't suppose you'd like to take this one? I'm trying to concentrate on the road."

Isabella snorted. "I'm trying to concentrate on not having this baby before we get to the hospital! It's all yours."

"Well," John began awkwardly. "When a mummy and daddy love each other very much..."

**XX**

It was seven in the morning before Emma _finally _got a call from a Knightley man... but it wasn't the one she'd been hoping to hear from.

"Hi, John," she mumbled in confusion, wondering why her brother-in-law was calling so absurdly early. She didn't have any lectures that day and had been hoping to sleep in a bit.

When he explained _why _he was calling, though, Emma was out of bed like a shot.

"Why didn't you call me when you went to the hospital?" she asked petulantly.

"We didn't want you to wake your father," John explained. "Don't worry – you haven't missed anything, Izzy's still in labour. Just get over here as soon as you can."

Emma was already out the door before she hung up the phone.

**XX**

"Auntie Emma! Auntie Emma!" the boys squealed excitedly when they saw their favourite aunt burst into the waiting room.

Emma's heart melted at the sight of her adorable nephews and opened her arms wide for a big hug. They ran eagerly into her arms, ready for a cuddle.

"Glad you made it, Emma," her brother-in-law greeted her. He was slumped in an uncomfortable-looking plastic chair, groggily sipping a cup of coffee.

"How's Izzy doing?" Emma asked.

John sighed. "Well, she's been in labour for a pretty long time now. I think they're going to induce soon, if they haven't already."

He slowly got to his feet. "I should get back to Izzy."

"No worries – I'll look after the boys," Emma replied. She paused, wondering whether she should ask the question that was hovering on the tip of her tongue. Then she decided she might as well.

"Where's Jake?"

John looked at her in surprise. "You didn't know? I thought he would've called you. He just left about twenty minutes ago – said he had to meet with a client."

"No, he didn't call," Emma said, feeling oddly disappointed. _Twenty minutes ago... why, that had been when John had called her. He hadn't left because she was coming... had he?_

_Don't be silly, _she chided herself instantly. _As if Jake would miss out on meeting his new nephew or niece just because of a stupid argument!_

But it only strengthened her resolve to make up with Jake at the soonest possible opportunity.

**XX**

Isabella looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms. All the pain was finally over... but she would go through it all again for the joy of holding this little one.

"Hello, my darling," she whispered to the newest member of the Knightley clan, a peaceful smile on her face.

"Mummy!" Henry called excitedly as he and Jacob ran over to their mother's bedside to inspect their new sibling.

His face fell instantly. "She's ugly. She's all red and wrinkly."

"You and Jacob were also red and wrinkly when you were born," Isabella soothed. "And you weren't ugly and neither is your baby sister."

Emma walked tentatively into the room and her hazel eyes lit up at the sight of the tiny baby.

"Oh, Izzy, she's _adorable."_

Isabella smiled proudly. "She is, isn't she?"

"Can I hold her?" Emma begged, holding her arms out.

John and Isabella exchanged smiles.

"You _definitely _can hold her," Isabella assured, gently placing her new daughter in Emma's arms.

"Especially since she's your new namesake."

Her sister looked startled, and rightly so. Neither Isabella nor John had told her of their plans to name the baby after her, if it was a girl.

"I'm actually quite surprised you didn't guess," John joked. "Your father and Jake already have their namesakes in Henry and Jacob – you must've realised we like family names by now."

Isabella beamed at her younger sister. "Emma Jacqueline Woodhouse, meet Emma Juliet Knightley."

"Oh, I don't know what to say! Thank you?" Emma said, flustered, as she ducked her head shyly, but not before Isabella caught sight of the amazed smile on her sister's face.

There was a gentle knock on the door.

"Can I come in and meet my new niece?"

"Of course, Jake!" Isabella exclaimed excitedly.

John grinned at his older brother. "Uncle Jake, this is your new niece – Emma Juliet."

"_Two _Emmas? You've got to be kidding! Looking after one Emma is bad enough – how am I ever going to look after two?" Jake teased playfully.

Emma's heart lifted. He didn't seem to be upset with her. He was joking around with her, as though everything was normal.

"Do you want to hold her?" she offered, holding the baby out as a peace offering.

Jake shook his head slowly. "I left my camera in the car. I'd better go get it, before I do anything else."

He quickly left the room and walked briskly to the parking lot, where he slipped into his car and sighed heavily.

He drew his camera out of his pocket and looked at it thoughtfully. He hadn't really forgotten his camera in the car, of course, but he'd needed an excuse to get out of there.

After seeing Emma with Lucas last night, Jake had promptly vowed to get over his feelings for her and move on.

But seeing Emma cradling the baby and looking so sweet and beautiful at the same time...

Well, let's just say forgetting about his feelings for Emma was currently the last thing on Jake Knightley's mind.

**XX**

Caroline Bingley finished packing her last suitcase and smiled in triumph.

Everything was set for her move back to Sydney. Her flights were booked, she had a place to stay, she'd packed all of her belongings... and she'd contacted Jake Knightley.

Oh, he'd sounded surprised – shocked, even – to be hearing from her, but she'd managed to wangle her way into having dinner with him in a few nights.

And once he actually saw her again and remembered how good they had been together, she was confident that she'd have no difficulty in winning him back.

_She needed to win him back._

_**Author's Note: Virtual slices of key lime pie and thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter – LadyDudley, TheImaginationAddict, iambbq, SkiCan, ToReadandWrite, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley and Ami4.**_

_**Your lovely reviews feed my hungry muse and keep me writing! =)**_


	9. Of Pain and Proposals

"Oh, she is so _cute!" _Taylor squealed excitedly as little Emma grabbed hold of her index finger and gurgled contentedly.

"Stop hogging my niece, Taylor! Other people want to hold her too, you know," Jake interjected with a mock scowl on his face.

Taylor blatantly ignored him and continued rocking the baby. "Maybe I'll just adopt you and take you home," she cooed. "How would you feel about being a Weston?"

"I might have a problem with that," John interrupted indignantly.

Taylor turned pleading eyes towards Isabella. "C'mon, Izzy, just consider it. Remember what it's like to have a newborn baby? All those sleepless nights? Just think, if I take little Emma here, you'll be able to sleep on schedule again!"

"Hmm," Izzy murmured, a smile curving her lips. "That does sound pretty tempting, Tay."

"Watch out, Dan – I think Taylor's getting clucky," Emma teased playfully.

A chorus of laughter followed Emma's jest. Only Jake appeared to notice that Daniel didn't seem quite so amused. In fact, he was frowning slightly, as though he seemed displeased by the very idea.

Jake wondered what the matter was, but knew that now wasn't the time to ask. He resolved to talk to his friend in private, as soon as they had the opportunity to be alone.

"Alright, people, give the new mum a break. She needs to feed the baby," the nurse interrupted.

Taylor reluctantly handed little Emma back to her mother, but not before Isabella noticed the look of wistfulness in her eyes. She suddenly wondered if her sister's teasing comment might have had a grain of truth in it, after all.

As the others shuffled out of the room, Isabella impulsively caught hold of her friend's hand.

"Maybe you'll be next," she said meaningfully, giving Taylor's hand a squeeze.

Taylor seemed surprised by Izzy's words, but then grinned wryly, realising that her desires were pretty transparent.

"I sure hope so," she whispered back, giving little Emma and her mother one last kiss before walking out of the room.

**XX**

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Emma asked casually as she and Jake walked towards his car.

"Yeah, I'm having dinner with someone."

"Oh, OK," Emma muttered, feeling oddly disappointed. She'd been hoping Jake would be free – it had been a while since they'd had the opportunity to hang out together alone.

"Dinner with a client?"

Jake didn't answer her immediately. Instead he cleared his throat and averted his gaze. Of course, that aroused Emma's suspicions immediately.

"Not exactly," he muttered finally, as he turned his key in the ignition.

Emma looked at him closely and noticed that he seemed uncomfortable. Embarrassed, even. And she couldn't understand _why _he was embarrassed. Unless...

"Oh, my gosh! You have a date!" she exclaimed. She grinned broadly. "What's her name? What does she do? Oh, _please _tell me she's not another Paris Hilton wannabe!"

He glared at her. "That joke's getting old. And it's _not _like I asked out that girl in the first place – she was a blind date and you know it."

"Okaaaay," Emma said slowly, slightly stunned by his defensive tone. "I won't do it again. But seriously, who is this woman you're having dinner with tonight?"

Jake hesitated before he replied, "Caroline Bingley."

_Caroline Bingley... Caroline Bingley... why did that name sound so familiar?_

And then Emma remembered... and gasped out loud.

"Oh, please say you're kidding!" she groaned. "No, Jake, no. You _can't _seriously be going out with her tonight! Not after she was so horrible to you!"

"You were _six _when Caroline and I broke up," Jake pointed out matter-of-factly. "How could you possibly know that she was so horrible to me?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "I was a precocious child and you know it," she said with a sigh. "I might not have known _all _the details back then, but I knew that something was wrong with you. You went off to Europe and didn't come see us for ages. Then when you came back, you just seemed really angry and sad. Izzy and I had never seen you like that before and it scared us."

She paused thoughtfully. "And just in case you're wondering, yes, I realised all this _before _you drank too much at Izzy's eighteenth birthday and spilled the whole story."

Jake reddened as he remembered that night. It was lucky that Emma had been with him. He didn't want to even think about what he might have done if he had been alone.

"_Therefore," _she said triumphantly, "you have to agree that Caroline Bingley did treat you horribly. I mean, breaking up with you over _voicemail? _So uncool."

Jake allowed himself to smile. Emma had such a simple, yet clear way of putting things sometimes. And she was absolutely right – Caroline had done him an injustice (not to mention driven him temporarily insane) by breaking up with him so abruptly and without an explanation.

Whether he liked to admit it or not, he had been very invested in his relationship with Caroline. Although they'd been together a little less than a year, it had been a big deal for him. Caroline Bingley had been the only girl he'd ever had a serious relationship with – so much so that he'd not only contemplated proposing... he'd actually bought the ring.

On the night they were due to celebrate their eleventh-month anniversary, Jake had pulled out all the stops. He'd had it all planned.

He had booked reservations at an expensive Italian restaurant which overlooked Sydney Harbour. It hadn't been an ordinary table for two, either... he had booked out an entire room. He had hired a string quartet to serenade them during their meal and had hidden a diamond solitaire ring in her flute of champagne. He'd even filled the room with stargazer lilies, her favourite flowers.

From an outside perspective, one might think he was rushing things too much and should never have gone to the trouble of proposing. But then that outside perspective wouldn't know that _Caroline _had been the one who had been nudging him to propose.

During their relationship, she'd frequently dropped hints about wanting to get married and made several not-so-subtle suggestions that they get engaged. She would steer him towards china patterns when they went shopping and comment that they could register for these one day. She would point at houses while they were walking along Sydney's beaches and idly remark that she hoped they'd have a house like that one day. When his aunt had gotten married, they'd gone to the wedding and she'd smiled and said they should take notes for their own wedding.

It was the kind of attitude that would make your average eighteen-year-old guy freak out and break off the relationship immediately, if it weren't for two factors.

The first was that Caroline Bingley _wasn't _the desperate loser one might assume she was. At the age of eighteen, she was independent, chic and successful. At no time did Jake think that Caroline _needed _to get married, and so the fact that she wanted to – and to apparently marry him – was really quite flattering.

And the second factor... well, Jake Knightley _wasn't _your average eighteen-year-old guy. His parents had been childhood sweethearts and had the kind of blissful marriage that most people could only dream about. Jake knew what it was like to have a happy family life and _he _had wanted that kind of life too.

Jake didn't expect to get married straight away, of course – but he imagined a long engagement throughout uni, getting a job and making sure he could financially support a wife and then finally tying the knot somewhere down the line. But with one voicemail message dumping him on the night he had planned to propose to her, Caroline Bingley had effectively crushed his dreams.

So to say that she had treated him horribly... was really quite an understatement.

**XX**

Emma saw the familiar look of sadness enter Jake's green eyes and she silently cursed herself for making Jake think about such a painful subject. But knowing the effect that Caroline Bingley had on him, could she as his best friend, in good conscience, actually _allow _him to keep his appointment tonight?

"Are you sure you want to go, Jake?" she asked apprehensively. "You don't owe her anything – it's not like you _have _to see her."

"I know," Jake replied quietly. "But some part of me _does _have to see her, Em. Even if it's only to get an explanation for _why _she dumped me fourteen years ago." He laughed a little bitterly. "Even if it's just an apology without the explanation."

Emma still looked doubtful. "And where are you going to meet her?" she asked.

"Tetsuya's."

Emma whistled softly. "Tetsuya's! Jake, the woman doesn't deserve to go to dinner with you at a place like that, let alone out with you in the first place!"

"Relax," Jake reassured. "Caroline's paying."

"Even stranger," Emma mused out loud. "Paying for dinner at Tetsuya's with your ex? Maybe she really does want your forgiveness... or maybe she wants you back."

The thought had crossed Jake's mind.

Emma glanced at him. "You're not _seriously _going to get back with her, just because she takes you dinner at a fancy restaurant?" she blurted in disbelief.

"What? Where are you getting this from?" Jake protested, as he pulled into Emma's driveway and switched off the ignition.

Emma looked up with a start. She'd been so wrapped up in their discussion that she hadn't even realised that they'd reached her house.

She crossed her arms. She wasn't going anywhere until she figured out what Jake was going to do.

"Jake, you have the softest heart of anyone I know," she said quietly. "I just don't want to see you get hurt again."

Jake swallowed as he contemplated the irony of Emma's statement. _Oh, if only she knew how he felt about her secret relationship with Lucas Elton..._

"I'm not quite so gullible as you think," he said firmly. "I'm just curious about what she wants, that's all."

Emma smiled as she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the passenger door. "Good boy," she said approvingly, patting him on the shoulder.

"I expect a full report on everything that happens tonight, you hear?"

"Loud and clear," Jake said with a wink.

**XX**

Emma stood at her window and watched quietly as Jake pulled out of the driveway. She didn't know why, but she felt distinctly uneasy about Jake having dinner with Caroline that night.

She hoped she was just being paranoid.

_**Author's Note: Many thanks to Lady Dudley, ToReadandWrite, RhiannonAmidala, iambbq, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, TheImaginationAddict, SkiCan, Saved4EverAndEver, mintaddiction, Ami4 and moonlight08 for your kind words and continued encouragement. You keep me writing this story.**_

_**There are some big events coming up in the next chapter, including Jake and Caroline's dinner date and Lucas' party! Stay tuned. =)**_


	10. Of Reunions and Relationships

"Thanks for inviting me over tonight, Emma," Henrietta said shyly as she stepped into Emma's bedroom and put down her duffel bag.

"Hey, I should be thanking _you," _Emma declared. "Otherwise I'd have been guilt tripped into babysitting my nephews." She pretended to shudder. "And although I love them to death, I'm just _not_ in the mood for babysitting tonight."

"So who's looking after them while Izzy's in hospital?" Henrietta asked curiously.

"Taylor," Emma said with a grin. "You should've seen her this morning, Henrietta. She was _so _clucky and it was totally adorable. And I can't really blame her. Take a look at how cute my niece is."

Henrietta took Emma's phone and squinted at her screensaver.

"She _is _cute," she answered dutifully. Personally, she thought that all babies looked the same, but she wasn't going to argue with the doting aunt.

"Yes, she is!" Emma said proudly, pleased that her friend agreed.

"Anyway, I've got the popcorn and Pods ready to go. What are we watching tonight? Did you have time to rent a movie?"

"Oh, yes," Henrietta replied earnestly, fumbling in her duffel bag and pulling out a DVD. "I thought E.T. might be fun. Totally lacking in scientific fact, of course, but then who needs scientific fact on a Friday night?"

Emma kept the smile firmly fixed on her face, trying not to let Henrietta see her grimace. "Oh, right, that sounds like fun," she murmured with a false sense of cheerfulness. "Why don't you put it in now? I'll get the drinks."

As she headed towards the kitchen, her thoughts drifted to Jake and she wondered just how his reunion with Caroline Bingley was going

**XX**

"My name is Jake Knightley. I'm here to meet Caroline Bingley?"

The waiter consulted the reservation book and then nodded politely.

"Miss Bingley is already here. Please follow me."

"Thank you," Jake replied quietly. He was surprised to find that his palms were a bit sweaty and that the Italian silk tie around his neck suddenly felt like a noose.

What would it be like to see Caroline again after all these years? He didn't know what to expect, but he was about to find out.

**XX**

She looked up and smiled brightly when she saw him approaching the table.

"Jake! It's so good to see you again!" she exclaimed, sounding genuinely delighted.

She looked as though she was about to hug him and Jake quickly moved out of her reach.

"Nice to see you again too, Caroline," he replied formally, holding out his hand.

She looked dumbfounded for a moment, and then burst into laughter.

"Alright, if that's how you want to play it," she said silkily. She reached out and shook his hand in a businesslike manner.

Their handshake was interrupted by the waiter, who cordially inquired whether they would be having the degustation or a la carte that evening.

Caroline raised a quizzical eyebrow at Jake, obviously waiting for him to make the decision.

Jake had always wanted to try the degustation menu at Tetsuya's, but wasn't sure he could sit through eleven courses with Caroline and not feel awkward.

"A la carte, please," he replied firmly. After a quick scan of their menus, they placed their orders and the waiter left them alone once more.

"So how _are _you doing, Jake?"

Jake looked at Caroline steadily. "Let's not beat around the bush with social niceties. Why did you want to have dinner with me tonight?"

She laughed. "I'd forgotten how direct you are."

"It's more about honesty," Jake corrected her. "You wanted me to have dinner with you and I am. But why?"

She smirked at him. "Does there have to be an ulterior motive involved? I told you already, Jake. I miss you."

When Jake's expression remained stony, she sighed and leaned forward. "I know you must hate me for everything I put you through. But I want to make amends for that, I really do. You were the best thing that ever happened to me and I wish I'd never run away from you."

"So then why did you?" Jake asked bluntly.

She shrugged and took a sip of her wine. "I don't know. I just panicked, I think. We were getting so serious and I felt like I was still young and hadn't really seen the world yet."

"But we didn't have to break up in order for you to see the world," Jake protested. "We could've travelled together or had a long-distance relationship..."

Caroline shook her head firmly. "It wouldn't have worked," she stated confidently. "We needed to spend that time apart in order for me to appreciate you."

Jake thought he had hardened his heart towards Caroline Bingley a long time ago, but he could feel the ice starting to thaw a little.

Their orders arrived at that point and they spent the rest of their evening enjoying the food and safer topics of conversation. No more mention was made of the pain Jake had gone through or the lack of communication on Caroline's part.

"This was fun," Caroline remarked as they walked out of the restaurant at the end of the night.

"Yes, it was," Jake said softly.

She grinned. "You don't have to sound so surprised. I am quite fun to be around."

"You are," Jake assented."It's been so long that I had forgotten."

"Could we do this again, do you think?" she asked tentatively. "Not at Tetsuya's, I mean... but just hanging out?"

Jake didn't even bother to think about it. "I'd like that," he agreed quickly.

**XX**

"Would you like more ice-cream, boys?" Taylor asked, already knowing the answer to that question.

The boys nodded eagerly and Taylor laughed.

"Alright, hold out the bowls," she instructed, and carefully placed another scoop of cookie dough ice-cream in each dish.

"You two sure remind me of your Aunt Emma," she murmured nostalgically. "She used to slurp her ice-cream exactly the same way you do, Henry."

The little boy gave her a gap-toothed grin as he swallowed another spoonful of ice-cream.

"Did you know Aunty Emma when she was a kid?"

"Oh, yes," Taylor said fondly. If she closed her eyes, she could still picture a little girl with a messy blonde ponytail and lively hazel eyes. "I used to give her piano lessons."

"Mummy said that I could start taking piano lessons at the end of the year," Henry announced proudly. "But Jacob can't because he's too little."

"I'm not too little!" Jacob protested loudly, glaring at his older brother.

Taylor smothered a smile. "You're not too little and you're not too big. You're just right," she reassured the younger boy and this seemed to pacify him.

"I'm not too little," he repeated firmly, as if he really needed to convince Taylor of the fact. "E.J's too little, though, isn't she?"

Having an aunt and a baby sister with the same name had confused the boys and they had started calling baby Emma by her initials – E.J. Well, Henry had started calling her E.J. and Jacob, who looked up to his big brother, had followed suit.

"E. _definitely _too little to take piano lessons," Taylor replied, stifling a laugh as she pictured those chubby baby hands banging on the piano keys.

"I've finished my ice-cream," Henry reported, getting out of his chair. "What can we do next, Taylor?"

She smiled. "Let's wait for Jacob to finish too, and then I have a surprise for you."

"Hurry up, Jacob!" Henry said bossily and his little brother nodded.

"I'm done too!" he announced a few minutes later.

"OK, good. Now go put your bowls in the sink."

The boys hastened to obey and then rushed back excitedly.

"What's the surprise?"

Taylor pulled out a plastic bag that the boys hadn't noticed earlier and produced two pirate hats and a rolled up piece of paper.

"Who wants to go on a treasure hunt?"

"Me!" The cries were unanimous.

A few hours later, peace reigned in the Knightley household. The boys had followed all the clues on the rolled-up piece of paper and found their treasure – an assortment of candy bars and cookies packed neatly in a gold box. Tired and happy, they had readily agreed to go to bed when Taylor had suggested it and had fallen asleep quickly.

"How were the boys?" John asked when he came home from the hospital.

"Absolutely perfect," Taylor murmured dreamily. "You can ask me to babysit _anytime."_

John grinned. "You know, we might just take you up on that."

**XX**

"Honey, I'm home!" Taylor called gaily as she opened the front door.

Daniel was on the couch watching _The Big Bang Theory. _She put her keys on the coffee table and then sat herself down on her husband's lap.

"How was your evening?" he asked after they'd shared an affectionate kiss.

Taylor beamed at him. "It was wonderful! Henry and Jacob were _so _cute and well-behaved. Izzy and John are really lucky!"

She wrapped her arms around Daniel's neck. "It makes me feel like we should start thinking about having kids someday soon."

Daniel stiffened as she said the words. "Oh, come on, Taylor. We only just got married – you're surely not thinking about kids now!"

"Well, why not?" Taylor flung back, feeling stung by his harsh tone. "We have a house, we're married, and we're in a good position to start thinking about a family..."

"Taylor, I work in a law firm all day and you teach piano all day. We don't have _time _to look after children, let alone worry about having them!"

Taylor felt like a piece of her heart had been ripped out. "Are you telling me that you don't want kids?"

"I never said that!" Dan retorted angrily.

"You implied it," she said hotly as she got off her husband's lap and stared at him. "And I have a feeling you mean it."

Dan sighed heavily. "Look, Tay, all I'm saying is that kids aren't a priority for us at the moment. We just got married; we're both working full-time..."

She put her hands on her hips. "I would quit my job and be a full-time mum if we had a child, you know."

"But you don't _have _to worry about these things," Dan huffed. "Taylor, I know you had a great time with Izzy's kids tonight and that's good. But the best part about looking after someone else's kids is that you can give them back at the end of the day."

He rolled his eyes. "I mean, babies are a lot of work!"

Taylor had never seen this side of her husband before. They had never really talked about having children before. She'd always just sort of assumed they would have kids one day, but from the sound of it, Dan didn't want them.

She wanted to say more, but didn't have the heart to do it right now. Instead she turned and walked slowly out of the room, wondering why her perfect marriage had suddenly gone sour.

_**Author's Note: Sorry, I know I said that I'd put Lucas' party in this chapter, but when it was actually written, I decided there was already enough drama in it! Plus I want to make sure that you're interested enough to keep reading... ;)**_

_**Thanks and appreciation to Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, iambbq, RhiannonAmidala, TheImaginationAddict, Lady Dudley, Anenihan, SkiCan, Saved4EverAndEver, ToReadAndWrite, toffeema and moonlight08 for leaving your thoughts about the last chapter.**_

_**And also a special thank you to those who have been reading and reviewing my work in other fandoms as well. You know who you are. =)**_


	11. Of Puzzlement and Poems

"Hey Emma! Wait up!"

Emma turned around in surprise, her mind still very much on the essay she needed to write for her European history class. She smiled when she saw Lucas Elton jogging in her direction and waited for him to catch up with her.

"Hey Lucas," she greeted warmly. "How are you doing?"

"Not too bad," he said with a grin. "Although I have to admit I was feeling a bit disappointed a few days ago."

Emma looked puzzled. "Disappointed? Why?"

He grinned. "Well, a certain young lady agreed to go on a picnic to the Botanic Gardens with me and then pulled out unexpectedly on the day."

Emma flushed. "I _am _sorry for cancelling at the last minute, Lucas. But how I was meant to know that Izzy would have the baby that day?"

"I'm just teasing," he reassured quickly. "Of course you had to be with your sister."

He ran a languid hand through his sandy-blond hair. "In fact, if I had known, I would've come to the hospital too."

Emma frowned slightly. "But then you wouldn't have been able to go on the picnic with Henrietta. And all the food you made would've been wasted. I heard you guys had a great time," she said encouragingly.

At least she hoped they had a great time. When she'd questioned Henrietta about the picnic, Henrietta had been surprisingly tight-lipped and not at all forthcoming. Emma chalked it down to shyness on her friend's part, figuring that Henrietta just wasn't the type to kiss and tell. But that didn't stop her from _wondering..._

"Yeah, sure, we had a good time," Lucas said cautiously and Emma wished she had been alone so that she could hug herself in glee. Lucas' reticence mirrored Henrietta's and she was sure this was a sign of his interest in her friend. There was obviously _something _going on, but maybe they just weren't ready to talk about it yet.

"You're carrying a big load today," Lucas observed, glancing at the heavy satchel of library books slung over Emma's shoulder. "Big essay to write?"

"Yeah, for European history," Emma sighed. "I would've been carrying even more, but I couldn't find some of the books I was after. Even though the catalogue _said _they were on the shelves. I swear the library is filled with little elves that like playing with the books and don't put them back where they found them."

Lucas looked thoughtful. "You know, I might have a few books at home you could use," he suggested casually. "Maybe you'd like to take a look at them?"

"Oh, that would be great!" Emma exclaimed enthusiastically. "I'm actually pretty nervous about this essay, 'cause it's worth 20%, so I could definitely use any extra resources you have."

Lucas grinned. "I'll look for them as soon as I get home," he promised. "And then maybe you could pick them up tonight?"

He looked at her questioningly. "Unless you have plans with Jake?"

"No, Jake has other plans," Emma said airily. "Henrietta's actually coming over for dinner tonight."

She then had a brain-wave. "Why don't you join us?"

"Sounds like a plan," Lucas agreed, looking very pleased. "What time should I come over?"

"Around 6:30 should be fine."

He grinned. "I'll see you then."

Emma smiled secretly to herself. He sounded perfectly nonchalant, but she could tell that he was excited. Excited by the prospect of seeing Henrietta again, she was sure.

_Yes, Emma, _she thought smugly as she walked to the bus stop. _You've really made a match this time._

**...**

"That looks delicious," Henrietta commented as she watched Emma stir the bubbling pot of Thai green curry. "You're such a great cook, Em."

"Anyone can cook," Emma replied distractedly as she opened a can of coconut milk and poured it into her curry.

"I can't," Henrietta said dismally. "My foster mother tried to teach me when I was young and I just wasn't interested. I wish I had learned now, though."

"Oh, it's never too late," Emma coaxed. Before Henrietta realised what her friend was doing, Emma was swiftly taking off her apron and tying it around Henrietta's waist.

"What's this for?" Henrietta protested, fiddling uncomfortably with the apron strings.

Emma dimpled mischievously. "You said you wanted to cook, didn't you? Well, here's your chance!"

"I said I wished I had _learned _how to cook, not that I wanted to cook," Henrietta said feebly, looking helplessly at the wooden spoon Emma had just handed her.

"There's nothing to it!" Emma promised. "Just stir!"

With a few more words of encouragement, Emma finally managed to persuade Henrietta to stir the curry and carefully instructed her about which seasonings and spices to add to the dish. Then she had Henrietta boil the rice and stir-fry some vegetables too.

The doorbell rang just as Henrietta was carrying the rice to the Woodhouses' kitchen table.

Emma grinned at her friend. "Perfect timing."

**...**

"What a great dinner!" Lucas remarked as he polished off his third helping of curry. He glanced at Emma. "My compliments to the chef."

Emma smiled. "I wasn't your chef tonight," she said sweetly. "Henrietta did the cooking."

"No, I didn't really..." Henrietta protested and trailed off as Emma kicked her softly on the ankle.

"Really? Looks like I know two great candidates for next year's Masterchef, then," Lucas commented. "I loved that rice... what did you put in it to turn it yellow?"

"She used turmeric," Emma jumped in quickly.

Lucas shook his head in amazement. "Nice work."

He glanced at the clock. "Wow, I'd better get going," he murmured. "But thanks again for dinner."

"You're not leaving without giving me the books you promised me!" Emma teased. "I didn't just invite you for the sake of your company, you know."

Lucas chuckled and rose from his seat. "I left them in the car. Give me a sec."

As Lucas left the dining room, Henrietta nudged Emma sharply with her elbow.

"What were you doing, Em?" she exclaimed, sounding slightly panicked. "I didn't put the turmeric in that rice! I barely even know what turmeric _is!"_

"It's OK, Lucas doesn't know that," Emma reassured her as she stood up and began collecting the dishes.

"But why bother to make him think that I made it?" Henrietta persisted. "Who wants a relationship that is based on lies?"

"Men," Emma replied matter-of-factly. "They want to think they're going out with women who look like supermodels but can cook like Martha Stewart. I don't understand it myself, but that's just the way it is."

Before Henrietta could ask more questions, Lucas returned with a tall stack of history books in his arms.

"Wow, when you said you had _some _books at home, you were obviously being modest," Emma said, gaping at the amount of resource material.

Lucas shrugged. "It's not all mine," he confessed. "I borrowed most of them from my dad. So I hope you take good care of these."

"Oh, I will," Emma promised, touched that Lucas had apparently gone to so much trouble for her essay. _He must really want to impress Henrietta. Knowing that she's the academic type and all..._

"And I was wondering if I could ask you a favour," he added hesitantly.

"What, dinner wasn't enough?" Emma joked playfully.

He grinned. "No, a different sort of favour." And he reddened slightly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a single sheet of paper.

Emma took it from him and raised her eyebrows as she read through the first couple of lines.

"What _is _this?"

Lucas coughed slightly. "Uh... let's just say a friend of mine wants to tell a certain girl that he likes her. And he was wondering whether this might be an appropriate poem to express his feelings."

"I see," Emma replied slowly.

"So if you could maybe look at that and let me know what you think and I'll pass the message onto my friend..."

"I'll do that," Emma said, smiling broadly as Lucas started to leave. "I'll definitely do that."

**...**

"What is it?" Henrietta asked curiously, as soon as Lucas was out of sight.

Emma looked up in wonder. "It's a love poem."

"For you?" Henrietta didn't sound particularly surprised.

"No, no, no!" Emma said vehemently. "This is definitely for _you."_

She handed the piece of paper to her friend. "Here, take a look for yourself."

"Beautiful Dreamer*," Henrietta read as she sat down again.

Emma nodded. "Read the poem!"

"Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,  
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;  
Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,  
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd a way!

Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,  
List while I woo thee with soft melody;  
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng, -  
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea  
Mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelie;  
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,  
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.

Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,  
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;  
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart, -  
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!"

As Henrietta lifted her eyes up from the page, Emma searched her friend's face for emotion. There didn't seem to be any expression of love or even affection... just sheer confusion.

"I don't understand," Henrietta murmured. "What does this all mean? And how can this poem be for me? He handed it to you!"

Emma reached over and pretended to shake her friend by the shoulders.

"My dear Henrietta! Don't you see? Lucas only passed the poem onto me as a guise, so that I might be a messenger and deliver to his beautiful dreamer!"

Privately she was surprised by Lucas' description of Henrietta as a 'beautiful dreamer' and reasoned that the man was indeed in love.

"_You _are the object of Lucas' Elton's affections," she repeated. "Did you not see how embarrassed he looked when he claimed to be doing this for a _friend? _Make no mistake, Henrietta, Lucas Elton is in love and you are the lucky one!"

She gave her bewildered friend a huge hug. "Oh, please let me be your bridesmaid! I need to be able to tell Jake he was wrong at the wedding."

"I don't believe it," Henrietta said softly, still looking very dazed. "You _really _think Lucas wrote this for me?"

"I don't think it, I _know _it!" Emma announced confidently. "The question is, what will you do about it now?"

Henrietta looked suddenly nervous. "Do I need to do something?"

"Of course!" Emma exclaimed. "Did you not hear him? He wanted a reply message to be passed on. Which means that _you _need to make the next move. The ball is in your court now."

"Oh, dear, I suppose you're right," Henrietta whispered, looking slightly distressed.

Emma was concerned. "Why do you look so sad? Is something wrong?"

Henrietta thought of the sweet email she had received from PlanetMan that morning. She hadn't told Emma that she was still corresponding with him, knowing that the other girl disapproved of their online friendship.

She felt like she would know what to do if it was PlanetMan that liked her, but Lucas Elton was practically a stranger! She couldn't help wishing that things could be different.

_Don't be silly! _she chided herself silently. _Lucas Elton is one of the most eligible guys around and your best friend approves of him. You should be thrilled!_

Emma did not know about the inner monologue which raged inside her friend's heart.

She was just excited that Lucas Elton had made his feelings known at last.

_**Author's Note: Special thanks go to the reviewers – TheImaginationAddict, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, iambbq, Lady Dudley, xXAustenGirlXx, SkiCan, Saved4EverAndEver and Ami4! Your encouraging words are so lovely and inspiring – they really do make me write faster!**_

_**Thanks also to those who have added this story to Favorites, subscribed or are simply just reading. If you're not too shy, I'd sure love to hear from you too!**_

_**So every time I think I'm going to write about Lucas' party, another chapter somehow ends up writing itself. It just goes to show that stories have minds of their own – they can even surprise the author! ;) **_

_**And the poem in this chapter is actually written by an American poet named Stephen Foster. Look him up!**_


	12. Of Butter and Brunches

"Aunty Emma's here! Hi, Aunty Emma!"

Emma smiled at Jacob's excited squeals and scooped her younger nephew up in her arms, planting a big kiss on his cheek. She then smiled at the patient Henry, who was waiting for his aunt's attention too, and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Emma!" Isabella said in surprise as she came to the door. "I didn't think you would come by today. Aren't you going to Lucas' party tonight?"

"Yeah, but I still have a couple of hours to kill," her younger sister answered. "And I can't think of a better way to spend them than with my beautiful sister and her children."

By this time, Jacob was wriggling madly in Emma's arms and she set him down gently on the floor.

Isabella smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're here, anyway," she said quietly. "I've been alone with the kids all day and although I love them, I've been _dying _for some adult conversation."

"I aim to please," Emma replied cheerfully, gently taking her little niece from her sister's willing arms.

"Hello, E.J," she said softly. "Who's the prettiest baby girl in the _universe?"_

The baby gurgled in response and Emma beamed proudly. "Yes, you're right – it's _you! _Yes, it is... yes, it is!"

"What is it about a baby that can make rational, logical adults talk gibberish?" Isabella teased.

"We're just trying to speak their language," Emma said with a shrug. "So why have you been alone with the kids all day? I know John's at work all day long, but I thought Taylor might have come for a visit."

"I haven't seen Taylor for a while now," Isabella admitted. "In fact, the last time I saw her was that day at the hospital – she's babysat the boys once since then, but that's it."

Emma frowned. "Really? That's strange. Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her for the past few days either."

"Is she going to Lucas' party tonight?" Isabella asked carefully.

"You know, I have no idea," Emma said slowly. "Weird, I know – Tay and I usually touch base with each other almost every day, but we haven't lately. I do know that she and Daniel were invited..."

She got up slowly and carefully placed the baby back in her mother's arms. "Excuse me, Izzy. I think I'd better give her a call."

"Good idea," Isabella agreed as she gently rocked E.J. back to sleep.

**...**

_Hi, this is Taylor Weston. If you leave me a message after the beep, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Have a nice day!"_

Emma sighed when she heard Taylor's voicemail message. "Hey, Tay, it's me. Just wondering if you were going to Lucas' party tonight. You're welcome to catch a ride with Henrietta and me if Daniel isn't going. Call me!"

**...**

"No luck?" Isabella asked sympathetically, seeing the look of disappointment on her younger sister's face as she walked back into the living room.

"Got her voicemail," Emma said with a sigh. "I hope everything's OK – I'm actually a bit worried now."

"Oh, don't be worried – I'm sure there's a perfectly logical reason for her lack of communication," Isabella soothed. She winked. "Remember, she and Dan _are _newlyweds."

"Ew! I did not just hear that," Emma complained, covering her baby niece's little ears. "And neither did E.J. Don't corrupt my niece, please!"

Isabella grinned. "So what are you wearing tonight?" she asked, deciding to steer their conversation back to smoother waters.

"Hmm... good question," Emma said thoughtfully. "A dress, of course – I was thinking the baby blue number I bought at the Boxing Day sale at Myer?"

Isabella scrutinised her carefully. "No, you need something a bit more sophisticated, I think. I might have something you can borrow."

Emma gaped. "You mean, after all those years of threatening to kill me if I ever so much as peeked in your wardrobe, you're actually offering to lend me something?"

"Well, I think I can finally trust you not to finger paint on my clothes now," Isabella retorted dryly, but with a hint of humour in her eyes.

"Hey, that only happened once... and I was _five_," Emma protested. "And your typical five-year-old would've done the artwork with smeared peanut butter. You're just lucky I had artistic sensibilities and did it with silver glitter."

Isabella laughed as she stood up and carefully laid baby E.J. in her crib. "It _did _look kinda cool in an abstract sort of way. But don't you _dare _give Henry and Jacob any ideas."

She led the way to the master bedroom and her closet. After a few minutes of rummaging, she let out a triumphant "Aha!"

"This is what I had in mind for you, Em."

Emma stared at the proffered dress. "_Chanel? You're lending me Chanel?"_

"Unless I miraculously get one of those celebrity personal trainers and shed off all the post-baby kilos, I'm not going to fit into this anytime soon. And since it's going to be _years _before I can trust E.J. with this... I just thought you could make use of it."

"It's so pretty," Emma said in awe, reaching out and tentatively stroking the delicate material. "I'm almost afraid to wear it – I've never worn anything so expensive!"

She eyed the colour of the dress a little more sceptically. "Or so pink. I hope this doesn't make me look like Barbie."

"You'll be fine," Isabella reassured. "It does look really girly and feminine, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing, you know. I'm sure Lucas is going to love it."

Emma raised her head slowly and looked at her older sister in confusion. "Uh... say what now?"

Now it was Isabella's turn to look confused. "I thought... isn't there something between you and Lucas?"

"No!" Emma exclaimed emphatically. "Why does everyone think that, anyway? And how could _you _think that, Izzy? You've met the guy, like, _once?"_

"I didn't mean to offend, sweetie," Izzy said quickly. "It's just... well, he seems to come up in conversation rather a lot, doesn't he?"

"Only because I'm trying to fix him up with _Henrietta," _Emma replied huffily. "It seems to be working too. Did I tell you that he wrote her a poem?"

Izzy's eyebrows shot up. "A poem? What kind of a poem?"

"A love poem, of course."

"And did he actually give the poem to Henrietta?"

"Not exactly," Emma admitted reluctantly. "He gave it to me. But only so that I could pass it on for him!" she added hastily, seeing the gleam in her sister's eyes.

Izzy smiled coyly. "I rest my case."

Emma shook her head in disbelief. It was as though the world was trying to set her up with Lucas Elton, when _she _was not the one that he was interested in.

"You're crazy, but I love you anyway," she declared, carefully packing the Chanel dress in a plastic bag. "I'd better get going – I've got to go home and make myself beautiful before I pick Henrietta up."

"Uh-huh," Izzy said knowingly. "Have a great evening."

**...**

"Isn't Jake coming with us?" Henrietta asked in surprise as she climbed into the passenger seat of Emma's silver Rav4.

"No, he said he'd see us there," Emma replied shortly.

She didn't want to tell Henrietta the _real _reason why Jake was not coming with them. It was because Caroline Bingley was going with _him. _Oh, they hadn't announced any sort of revival of their romantic relationship yet, but Emma wasn't blind. She could tell from the way that Caroline acted that s_he _thought she was Jake's girlfriend again, or at least would be very soon.

_I don't know what he sees in her, anyway, _she thought resentfully as she slowly pulled out of Henrietta's driveway.

She'd had the dubious pleasure of meeting Caroline a couple of days ago when Jake had brought her along to brunch at Bill Granger's restaurant bills.

Brunch at bills had _always _been Jake and Emma's tradition. He had taken her there for the first time on her sixteenth birthday and she had loved the restaurant so much that they had started going there on the last week of every month.

Jake _always _got the corn fritters with bacon and roasted tomato, while Emma _always _got the ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter and they _always _had a great time together.

So she did feel somewhat miffed when Jake had shown up with a guest when brunch was meant to be just _them, _but she'd quickly squelched the feeling and tried to get over it. _At least she would have, _she thought, _if Caroline had been a different sort of guest._

**...**

"_I don't know why we even bother looking at menus anymore," Jake laughed as he handed his menu to Caroline. "Emma and I order the same thing every time."_

"_Oh, really?" Caroline said coolly. "And what is it that you normally order?"_

"_Well, Jake always goes for the corn fritters with bacon," Emma said, trying to sound friendly. "But I can't stay away from the ricotta hotcakes. The honeycomb butter is truly sublime."_

"_Butter?" The distaste in Caroline's voice was evident. She made it sound as though Emma had said 'cyanide' instead._

"_I don't eat butter if I can help it," she added, patting her flat stomach smugly. "It's loaded with fat."_

_She looked meaningfully at Emma. "You might want to think about that."_

"_You know, it just tastes so good, I think I'll take the risk," Emma responded defiantly._

_But the honeycomb butter hadn't tasted nearly as nice after Caroline's snide comment and for the first time ever, Emma's platter of ricotta hotcakes was left unfinished._

**...**

"Em, I think the house was back there. You must've driven past it!" Henrietta said frantically, craning her neck.

Emma snapped to attention quickly and was thankful that they had reached the house safely. She didn't know how she had managed to drive here while her head was in the clouds.

"Wow, there are a lot of people here," Henrietta murmured as Emma parked the car and they began walking back.

"Yeah, Lucas' housemates are known for their big parties," Emma answered as they made their way to the open door.

"Emma, Henrietta, glad you could make it!" Lucas said enthusiastically as the two girls walked in. "Can I get you a drink?"

"I'll have a Coke, please," Henrietta said timidly.

"One Coke for the lady," Lucas declared, producing a can from the esky on the kitchen counter. "And for you, Em?"

Emma shook her head. "I'm good. Hey, Lucas, you don't know if Daniel and Tay are coming tonight, do you?"

"Not that I know of," Lucas said. "But Jake and his date are already here."

Emma followed Lucas' gaze and sure enough, Jake was standing in a corner and talking to a tall guy with wavy black hair. Caroline Bingley, clad in a strapless red dress, was next to them.

Something about the black-haired guy looked strangely familiar. Emma looked at him closely, trying to figure out where she knew him from.

"Do you know him?" Henrietta asked curiously, seeing the spark of recognition in her friend's hazel eyes.

"Yes, I do!" Emma exclaimed in surprise. "That's... Frank Churchill."

_**Author's Note: I hope you're all enjoying your holidays! I've had a wonderful time with family and friends. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to upload more chapters of A Christmas Medley before Christmas, but I've just been so busy! I WILL definitely continue with that story, though, so please don't give up on me. =)**_

_**Thanks to iambbq, Saved4EverAndEver, TheImaginationAddict, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, SkiCan, Lady Dudley and ToReadAndWrite for reviewing the last chapter. As always, I love hearing from you and am glad that you're still reading and enjoying the story!**_

_**So we've finally made it to Lucas' party – what will happen in the next chapter? You'll just have to wait and see...**_

_**Until then. xo**_


	13. Of Heartbreak and Hurt

"Where are we going, Mummy? Are we picking up Henry already?"

Isabella smiled tenderly at her inquisitive two-year-old. "No, honey. Henry's spending time with Grandpa Woodhouse, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Jacob said thoughtfully. "So where _are _we going?"

Isabella made sure that baby E.J's seat was secure and then she turned her attention to Jacob.

"We're going to visit Aunty Taylor."

"Goodie!" Jacob exclaimed eagerly. "Are we going to do another treasure hunt?"

"_Another _treasure hunt?" Isabella asked in surprise.

Jacob nodded emphatically. "Aunty Tay did one with me and Henry the other day."

"Ohhhhh," Isabella said with a smile. "I don't know, sweetie. We'll have to see if she's home first."

She was worried about Taylor, a lot more than she'd let on earlier, not wanting to worry her younger sister. It _wasn't _like Taylor to close herself off from her friends.

Even if she _was _a newlywed.

When Daniel and Taylor had first started dating, Taylor hadn't ignored her friends at all – if anything, she'd met up with them even more regularly. Sure she'd talked about Dan most of the times they'd met up – but they _had _met up and she'd never drifted out of contact.

Yes, something wasn't quite right and Isabella was determined to find out what it was.

**...**

Jacob was bursting with excitement by the time they reached the Weston home.

"Can I ring the doorbell?" he begged his mother earnestly.

Izzy smiled and carefully shifting E.J to the crook of her arm, she just barely managed to lift Jacob high enough to press the doorbell.

She suddenly wondered if she should have called first, but Taylor's car was in the driveway, so she might be home. Unless she'd gone out with Dan... it _was _the weekend, after all.

But no... there were footsteps padding towards the door and a tentative voice said "Hello?"

"It's Izzy," Isabella said quickly and there was a soft gasp behind the door.

"Izzy! What are you... what are you doing here?"

"I've come to visit you, silly," Isabella laughed. "Jacob and E.J wanted to come visit their favourite aunty. If she ever opens the door and lets us in, that is."

There was a pause.

"Just give me a sec," Taylor said quietly and a few minutes later, the door swung open.

"Hello, Jacob," she said to the little boy who had wrapped his arms around her legs. "Have you been a good boy lately?"

He nodded eagerly, his blond curls bouncing as he moved his head. "Are we going to have a treasure hunt tonight, Aunty Tay?"

"No, sweetie," Taylor said regretfully. "I didn't know you were coming. But I _do _have some choc chip cookies and a DVD for you to watch, if it's OK with Mum?"

She raised her eyebrows questioningly at Izzy, who nodded, giving her permission.

Once Jacob was sitting on the couch and giggling over a cartoon and E.J was asleep in her pram, Isabella finally felt free to say what was on her mind.

"Taylor... what's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Taylor asked innocently. "What do you mean?"

Izzy rolled her eyes at her friend's pretence. She hadn't been sure before, but now that she had seen Taylor with her own eyes, she knew something was up.

Normally impeccably groomed, even when lounging around at home, Taylor looked messy and unkempt. She was wearing a pair of trackies that had seen better days and a wrinkled oversized T-shirt.

Her usually sleek dark hair looked uncombed and there were dark shadows in her eyes, making it obvious that she hadn't been sleeping well.

"Look, if it's none of my business, just say so," Izzy said quietly. "But _please _don't lie to me, Tay. I know something's going on."

Taylor's face crumpled suddenly and she looked as though she was about to cry.

"You wouldn't understand!"

Fortunately having a hypochondriac for her father had taught Isabella and Emma a thing or two about how to deal with hysterics.

Isabella neither argued with Taylor nor pretended to agree with her. Instead she got up and headed to the Weston's kitchen.

"How about I make us a nice pot of tea?" she suggested calmly.

Taylor sniffed. "I'd rather have a _real _drink."

"OK... how about I make you a margarita then?" Isabella offered, quickly glancing around the kitchen and looking for the ingredients. "I won't be joining you, though – E.J wouldn't be too happy about that."

Two margaritas and a giant Snickers bar later, Taylor had finally managed to confess the whole story to Isabella.

Izzy's eyes were wide. She could understand Dan's point of view somewhat. It wouldn't be easy for him and Taylor to be thinking about kids now – they'd only just gotten married and Taylor couldn't really afford to quit work right now, not with the hefty mortgage they'd just acquired.

But it wasn't like him to be so insensitive. She felt a brief pang of hurt for Taylor and simultaneous anger towards Dan for being so callous. Surely he could have phrased his opinion in a nicer way!

"Where is Dan?" she asked curiously, wondering what Taylor was doing alone in the house on a weekend night.

"I don't know," Taylor blubbered as she reached for her umpteenth tissue. "But we've been fighting almost every night and I think he's just sick of it. I think he's just sick of _me."_

"No way!" Izzy said instinctively, reaching out to hug her friend. "Daniel can't be sick of you. He _loves _you. And as soon as you guys talk this through, I know everything will be okay."

"Well, we can't talk it through when we're fighting and it's also kinda hard that he's not here," Taylor sniffled.

Isabella chose her words carefully. "I knew you liked kids, Tay, but I didn't realise just how much you wanted them."

"I didn't realise either," Taylor said slowly. "But I guess I just always thought I'd have kids one day. You know I was an only child and that's why I spent so much time at your place when we were young. I felt like you and Emma were my sisters, Emma especially felt like a younger sister. And then you had kids and I just fell in love with them. And they just _really _made me want children because how could you _not..."_

Her voice trailed off. "Well, I guess Daniel doesn't."

"He's never actually said he doesn't want kids," Isabella pointed out gently. "He's just said not right now, which is fair enough. You're still young, Tay – you've still got time."

"_He's _still got time, you mean," Taylor said bitterly. "It's different if you're female. We've got expiration dates on our eggs."

She hiccupped loudly. "And besides if he _did w_ant kids at a future date, he should have said so. Then maybe we wouldn't have had the stupid argument."

Isabella didn't know what else to say, so she simply hugged Taylor closer and let her friend sob against her shoulder.

Oh, she was going to have a word or two with Daniel Weston when she next saw him.

**...**

"What are we doing at a _uni _party?" Caroline complained as she looked around the crowded house with distaste. She fiddled with the hem of her strapless red dress. "I thought we were going to go somewhere _nice."_

"I don't know – this sharehouse is pretty classy compared to the place I first lived in when I moved out of home," Jake laughed. "We left takeout containers all over the floor and my housemate owned a ferret."

Caroline wrinkled her nose in disdain. "How _awful."_

Jake looked at her with a slight frown. "Look, Caroline, I promised Daniel that I'd bring Frank to the party tonight and introduce him to people. You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I'd be happy to call you a taxi."

Caroline's eyes widened in alarm. This did not fit in her plans _at all!_

"Oh, no, I'm having fun," she lied glibly. "It brings me back to our own university years – do you remember that party we went to while we were dating?"

"Yeah, I remember," Jake said shortly but the look of nostalgia Caroline had been hoping for didn't appear on his face.

She sipped her Bacardi in annoyance and wondered if she had miscalculated something.

"Oh, hey, there's Emma and Henrietta!" Jake exclaimed, waving a hand and beckoning the girls over.

I

Caroline turned away and rolled her eyes.

_Perfect. Just perfect. How was she ever going to rekindle her relationship with Jake Knightley when they couldn't get a moment alone?_

She'd insisted on tagging along with him to brunch last week, hoping that they could do something together after the meal. Instead he'd politely asked which station he could drop her off at, because he'd promised to visit his parents!

She was beginning to think that Jake Knightley was more trouble than he was worth. Either that or she was losing her touch.

**...**

"Frank Churchill, you remember Emma Woodhouse, don't you?"

He smiled down at her. "Little Emma Woodhouse – how could I forget? It's not every day a thirteen-year-old girl trounces me in a game of basketball."

"Lucky break," Emma said dismissively. "You would've won the next game."

He was even more attractive than she'd remembered. His black wavy hair was slightly longer, he was a few inches taller, his shoulders were broader, he still had the same cheeky smile...

He leaned down and unexpectedly swept her into a warm affectionate hug. It took her by surprise but she quickly regained her composure and hugged him back.

Teenage Emma would have been jumping up and down in the air with excitement after a hug from her crush. But adult Emma was surprised to find that the hug didn't give her the butterflies that she was expecting. She felt as though she'd just hugged an old family friend... who Frank was, she supposed, strictly speaking.

Relief flooded her heart. Now she should talk to him like a normal person and not worry about embarrassing herself or doing anything silly.

Henrietta, on the other hand, seemed to have made no such resolution and was standing stock-still, gazing a little foolishly at Frank.

He noticed her intense gaze and smiled congenially. "Excuse my manners. I'm Frank."

"N-n-n-n-ice to meet you, Frank," Henrietta stuttered, suddenly sounding very nervous. She shook his politely proffered hand and then quickly stepped back.

"So when did you get into Sydney?" Emma asked curiously. "Sometime over the last few days, I'm guessing, because that's how long it's been since I've seen Taylor and Dan."

"Spot-on," he answered with a grin. "I just got in yesterday, actually. Haven't really had time to do much, but Dan insisted Jake take me to the party tonight and show me a good time."

"Oh... Dan and Taylor aren't coming?"

"Daniel had to work late," Frank explained. "Some client in Singapore... they're two or three hours behind Sydney time and wanted to have a conference call. And Tay said she didn't feel like coming – I think she's not feeling well."

"Oh, OK," Emma said worriedly. "I did try to call her earlier, but I just kept getting her voicemail."

"I think she was napping when I came to pick Frank up," Jake explained quickly.

He couldn't take his eyes off Emma – she always looked beautiful to him, but tonight she truly looked like a princess.

"Nice dress," he said quietly, wondering if she was wearing it for Churchill. But that was impossible – she hadn't known he was in Sydney yet, right?

"Oh, thanks. It's Izzy's dress," Emma answered, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Apparently she thought I needed a little style help with my wardrobe."

"You always look good to me!" Lucas Elton said cheerfully, entering the conversation.

He looked inquiringly at Frank. "Having a good time?"

"It's great," Frank said enthusiastically. "I've mingled and met some very nice people..."

"And by nice people, he means _girls," _Jake interjected. "I had to play bodyguard and ward off a few or we would never have gotten through the crowd wanting to meet the new guy."

Frank shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, dude. I don't know why they all kept coming over. The novelty of a new face, I guess."

Emma warmed to his humility. She was all too familiar with guys who bragged about attracting lots of girls (and she also knew those guys were often really the ones who drove the girls away). So it was a pleasant surprise to meet a guy who didn't appear to be the superficial playboy he was portrayed as.

"Hey, Em, if you've got a sec, I was wondering if we could talk," Lucas asked hesitantly.

Jake's hackles instantly went up.

_Don't do anything, Knightley, _he silently told himself. _Emma's not yours – you have no right to do anything._

But he couldn't help silently balling his fists as he watched Lucas Elton steer Emma towards the backyard. He would have given _anything _to be able to hear their conversation.

**...**

_**Author's Note: So I managed to put off the Lucas-Emma conversation once more, but I don't think I can avoid it any longer! It'll definitely be in the next chapter. Uh... well, almost definitely.**_

_**Virtual goodie bags and thanks to xXAustenGirlXx, red Rose-StArFiRe-RoSeFiRe, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, Saved4EverAndEver, Lady Dudley, synconi, ToReadAndWrite, Ami4, Julia and iambbq for your lovely reviews of the last chapter.**_

_**Julia – I hope you do get to do a foodie tour of Sydney someday. I will sneak some recommendations for you into future chapters! ;)**_

_**As always – if you've enjoyed this chapter, have some constructive criticism or just want to say hello, I'd love to hear from you! xo**_


	14. Of Conversations and Confessions

"It's almost nine o'clock," Izzy said with a frown as she glanced at the Weston's kitchen clock. "And Dan still isn't home?"

Taylor bit her lip and shook her head. "He's been coming home late ever since we started fighting," she confessed quietly. "Like I told you, Izzy, I think he just doesn't want to come home to me."

"Well, this has got to stop," Isabella said firmly, taking the margarita glass away from her friend. "What's his work number? I'm going to call him right now."

"Oh, Izzy, you can't do that..."

"Yes, I can," Isabella retorted, picking up the cordless phone. "Come on, Tay, give me his number."

Taylor was obviously apprehensive about the idea of Isabella calling Daniel, but she finally gave in. "It's on the whiteboard."

Isabella moved over to the whiteboard and quickly punched in Dan's work number.

"Knightley and Craig, Daniel Weston's office," announced a perky female voice that was _definitely _not Dan.

Isabella stiffened and quickly hung up.

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked worriedly, seeing the look of confusion on her friend's face.

"I just tried to call Daniel's office and a woman answered!"

"Oh, yeah," Taylor said with a sigh. "That's his secretary, Marianne Dashwood. She often stays in the office when Daniel's working late."

Isabella looked warily at her friend. "And how old is this secretary of his?"

Taylor frowned slightly. "She's 22 and gorgeous," she admitted. "And yes, before you ask, I do sometimes wonder if she's got a crush on Daniel. But I'm sure there's nothing going on between the two of them. I trust him."

She hesitated for a moment. "At least I think I do."

Isabella said nothing more, not wanting to make things worse. But she secretly wondered whether there was anything going on between Daniel and his secretary and whether _that_ might be the real cause of Taylor and Dan's marital problems.

Yes , she was _definitely _going to have a talk with Dan Weston. If he ever came home.

**...**

"Can you get me a drink, Jake?" Caroline Bingley asked, fanning herself with the back of her hand. It was surprisingly warm for an autumn evening and much to her dismay, the sharehouse didn't appear to have air-conditioning.

Jake didn't move a muscle. He continued staring into space as though Caroline hadn't said anything.

_Come to think of it_, she realised, _he had been surprisingly quiet for the last ten minutes or so._

"Can you get me a drink, Jake?" she repeated impatiently, wondering what on earth had gotten into him. She wasn't accustomed to having to repeat herself, especially with a man who was usually as courteous and considerate as Jake Knightley.

_She was losing her touch, _she thought glumly. _He hadn't paid her a speck of attention all evening and now he didn't even seem to remember she was there._

She laid a hand on his arm, hoping to get his attention. He flinched slightly at her touch and looked at her in surprise.

"What's wrong, Caroline?"

She forced herself to smile, even though she really didn't feel like it. "What about that drink, Jake?"

"Oh, not for me, thanks. But you go ahead," he replied distractedly, still staring into space.

Caroline followed Jake's gaze, but he seemed to be looking intently at the backyard. She frowned and squinted, trying to see what was holding Jake's attention, but she couldn't see anything of interest out there. It was too dark... and what could be so fascinating about a backyard, anyway?

It was a mystery, indeed.

**...**

"Oh, wow! I didn't know you guys had a vegie garden back here!" Emma squealed excitedly.

She looked in awe at the neat rows of plants. "Tomatoes, carrots... and oh, are those _pumpkins? _How cool!"

Lucas coughed uncomfortably. "Uh, Emma, I didn't actually bring you out here to look at the garden."

She looked up at him in surprise. "Really? Why, then?"

He swallowed hard, thinking carefully about what he was going to say.

"I, uh, well, you know..."

"Oh, just spit it out, Lucas," she teased, her smile showing off the cute dimples in the corner of her cheeks.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at her nervously. "Well, Emma, remember that poem my friend wrote?"

She smiled brightly, her hazel eyes glowing with excitement. "Oh, I remember," she said coyly.

"Well, it wasn't really a friend who wrote that poem," he confessed, watching her face closely for any change of expression.

Emma giggled. "Oh, I know _that, _Lucas. It wasn't too hard to figure out that you'd written the poem."

_Was that a hint of encouragement in her eyes?_

"So, uh, what did you think of it?" Lucas said awkwardly. This was the moment of truth.

Emma smiled knowingly. "I thought it was a _great _poem, Lucas. It made a certain girl very, very happy."

"It did?"

_Yes, that was definitely encouragement in her eyes. _

He took another step towards Emma.

"It did," she confirmed gaily. "But I think it's time that you stopped hiding behind the poem. You need to be upfront about your feelings now, so that there can be no mistake."

"I couldn't agree more," Lucas said eagerly, and before Emma quite realised what was happening, Lucas took another step towards her and grabbed hold of her hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked in surprise, extricating her hand from his grasp. Now it was his turn to look surprised.

"What do you think I'm doing? You told me to be upfront about my feelings!"

Emma's hazel eyes widened in alarm and she moved away from Lucas.

"I meant upfront about your feelings for _Henrietta," _she corrected quickly. "I don't see how holding my hand helps the situation."

"Henrietta?" Now Lucas was _really _confused. Was he inadvertently sending out mixed signals?

"I don't have feelings for Henrietta," he said in surprise. "I like _you."_

"_Me?" _Emma squawked in horror. This was _not_ how her plan was meant to work out!

She shook her head vehemently. "No, Lucas, you're making a mistake. It's Henrietta you care about, not me!"

"Where did you get the idea that I cared about Henrietta?" Lucas asked incredulously.

Emma's lip trembled. "You spent so much time talking to her at the party at Jake's place..."

"Only because she was _your _friend."

Emma gulped. "And you invited her to the picnic at the Botanic Gardens..."

"I invited _you _to the picnic first," Lucas reminded her. "I only invited Henrietta when you asked who else was coming along!"

"But you went on the picnic with her _alone, _just the two of you."

"Because you cancelled on me at the last minute when your sister went into labour and then told me to take Henrietta!"

"And you gave me the poem to give to her..."

Lucas now looked even more befuddled. "No, I gave the poem to _you..._ because it was for you_."_

"Oh, dear," Emma said in distress. "I think I've made a terrible mistake."

Lucas' face fell. "I guess that means you _don't _feel the same way about me, then," he said evenly, his lips pursed tightly together.

"No, I don't," Emma admitted honestly, feeling a tremendous rush of guilt. "I'm sorry, Lucas. You are a great guy, I just don't think of you in that way."

She stared silently at the ground, wishing a huge hole would just open up and swallow her, saving them both from this awkward and embarrassing situation.

"I guess I should've known better," Lucas said quietly. "I always thought there was something going on between you and Jake, but I thought I had a chance..."

Emma's head whipped towards him quickly. "_Jake? _There's nothing going on between me and Jake!" she exclaimed.

Lucas said nothing.

Emma cooled down quickly. She realised that maybe Lucas needed to imagine that there was something going on between her and Jake. Therefore he could save face – there was an actual reason why she didn't like Lucas in that way.

"Are you sure we can't just give it a try?" he said finally. "You never know, Emma. If we went on a proper date, you might feel differently about us."

Emma shook her head firmly, knowing that she wouldn't.

"I'm sorry, Lucas," she said gently. "You deserve a girl who really likes you and appreciates you for the wonderful guy you are. But that girl isn't me."

She paused. "But I hope we can still be friends."

She winced at having to say such an awful cliché, but it was true. She did value Lucas' friendship and she didn't want to lose him as a friend.

Her tentative question was rewarded with the ghost of a smile. "Of course," Lucas agreed finally. "I have to keep being friends with you so that I'll get my dad's books all back in one piece."

He opened his arms. "Friends, then?"

She smiled in relief and hugged him back briefly. "Friends," she promised. "And I'll return your dad's books safe and sound."

**...**

"I don't understand," Henrietta protested. "Why do we have to leave the party now?"

"I'm not feeling well," Emma said shortly.

And it was true. She felt sick to her stomach. Lucas couldn't have been more of a gentleman about her unintentionally leading him on, but she still felt guilty about her role in the matter.

_If I hadn't tried to fix him up with Henrietta, he would never have thought I liked him in that way, _she thought unhappily. _And Henrietta wouldn't have started liking him too. It's all my fault. Why am I so stupid sometimes? Why didn't I just listen to Jake?_

_And speaking of Jake..._

"Emma!" Jake called in surprise, as the two girls pushed their way through the crowd, slowly making their way to the front door. "You're leaving already?"

"Yes," Emma said wearily, not wanting to go into detail. "I'm not feeling well."

Jake looked concerned. "You don't look well," he observed, taking in her ashy pallor and tired expression. "Let me drive you home."

"You can't," Emma pointed out as they walked out the front door. "You drove your car here too."

"I can get Churchill to drive it back to the Weston's and I'll pick it up tomorrow," Jake answered.

He looked sharply at Emma's white face. "I'm not letting you drive home, Em. I'm worried about you. Just let me give Frank my keys and then I'll take you both home."

"Alright," Emma acquiesced finally, too emotionally exhausted to argue.

**...**

Once they had dropped Henrietta off, Jake looked soberly at his best friend.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong, Em?" he asked cautiously.

Emma shrugged. "I've told you already. I'm not feeling well."

"You were feeling just fine a couple of hours ago," he challenged. "What's happened between then and now?"

Emma hesitated, but decided to tell Jake the truth. He could be as stubborn as a bull sometimes – she knew he wouldn't give up until she told him, anyway.

"Well, I was in the backyard with Lucas..."

Jake's green eyes narrowed dangerously and he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"And..."

"And what?" Jake prompted quickly. Part of him was afraid of what he might hear and the other part just really needed to know.

Emma sighed and leaned back in her seat. "I've made a mess of things, Jake," she said sadly. "I was so sure that Lucas had a crush on Henrietta, but maybe it was just because I was trying to fix them up. I was seeing things that weren't really there. It turns out that he likes _me."_

Jake could have played the 'I told you so' card, but he wisely kept quiet, waiting for Emma to continue.

"Well, I think Lucas and I are going to be okay as friends, but I feel so stupid. I should've seen this coming. I can't believe I ended up leading him on... and he's such a nice guy... and now I'll have to tell Henrietta..."

Tears slowly began to roll down her cheeks. "Why am I so silly, Jake? Why didn't I just listen to you instead of trying to interfere?"

Jake pulled over on the side of the road, sensing that Emma needed some comfort.

"Hey, it's not your fault," he soothed gently, putting his arm around her. "You couldn't help Lucas liking you. That's something that was out of your control. And even if you hadn't tried to fix him up with Henrietta, I think he still would've found a way to tell you how he felt."

"But now I've hurt Henrietta too..." Emma sobbed in distress, anxious for the feelings of the girl whom she'd quickly begun to regard as a very good friend.

"You know, I think Henrietta will be okay," Jake reassured, smiling secretly as he remembered a conversation he'd had with Rob Martin a couple of days ago. "She'll find someone else. You wait and see."

He held out his sleeve. "Want to blow your nose? I don't have a tissue."

Emma felt her lips curve into an unwilling smile. "I think I've got a tissue around here somewhere," she sniffed, reaching for her handbag and triumphantly pulling out a little packet of Kleenex.

She looked at him gratefully. "You're such a good friend, Jake."

"Yes, I am," Jake assented, turning away so that Emma wouldn't see the expression of impatience upon his face.

Although he had been wary of Lucas Elton, he suddenly felt profoundly sympathetic towards the guy. At least _Elton _had been able to tell Emma how he felt. When would he ever be able to do the same?

**...**

"That's odd," Emma said in surprise as Jake stopped the car in front of her house. "I wonder whose car that is."

Jake didn't recognise the dark blue Toyota in the driveway either. "Maybe one of your father's friends?" he suggested.

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Dad doesn't have any _friends... _except Dr Perry, of course, and Dr Perry wouldn't be at our house so late at night. And it can't be Izzy or John, otherwise we'd recognise the car."

Her eyes widened suddenly. "I hope Dad's alright! Maybe he's not feeling well... maybe something's wrong!"

She scooped up her belongings quickly. "I've got to get inside and see what's wrong!"

"Wait, I'm coming with you," Jake said quickly, turning off the ignition.

Emma's hands were shaking badly and Jake had to unlock the door for her.

She flew inside instantly, with Jake at her heels. "Dad! Dad! Is everything okay?"

And then she stopped, horrified.

Her father was sitting calmly on the couch in his usual spot, looking very much at ease.

But that wasn't what had captured Emma's attention.

It was the dark-haired woman sitting next to Mr Woodhouse, holding his hand and looking very much at home.

_**Author's Note: As always, many thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter - Lady Dudley, TheImaginationAddict, Saved4EverAndEver, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, iambbq, SkiCan, AnGeL-oF-aWeSoMeNeSs, Glamorous Princess and NLT. Your lovely comments just fill me with joy! =)**_

_**I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!**_


	15. Of Comforting and Consolation

"_Dad?" _Emma croaked in disbelief, unwilling to believe her eyes.

Mr Woodhouse smiled sheepishly at his daughter. "Hello, Emma. Hello, Jake," he murmured, coughing nervously. "This is... uh, this is..." He looked helplessly at the woman sitting next to him.

"Adele Harris," the woman said with a cheerful smile, standing up to greet them.

She looked to be in her late forties, but was elegantly dressed in a stylish crimson dress that ended just below the knee. She had dark chestnut-brown hair that was bobbed stylishly, wore intellectual-looking black framed glasses over coffee-brown eyes and had an olive complexion.

"Nice to meet you," Jake said awkwardly, shaking the hand which Adele proffered.

Emma stood still, her mutinous expression showing that she was _not _pleased to be meeting Adele.

"And you must be Emma, of course," Adele said warmly. "Henry has told me so much about you."

Emma raised her eyebrows. OK, now she _really _wanted some questions answered – namely who was this strange woman who'd been holding her father's hand and felt familiar enough with him to call him _Henry?_ John had been married to Isabella for years and had never dared call Emma's father anything but Mr Woodhouse.

"Well, he hasn't mentioned _anything _about you," she said bluntly, hoping to shock the woman.

"_Emma!" _Jake reprimanded, surprised at her rudeness.

She ignored him and abruptly walked out of the room. They heard her footsteps running up the stairs, followed by the slam of her bedroom door.

"Oh, dear, Adele, I _am _sorry," Mr Woodhouse said in distress. "I can't imagine what's gotten into Emma. She is usually such a _good _girl."

"Don't fret, Henry," Adele said softly. "I had a feeling this might happen."

"I'll go up and check on her," Jake offered quickly, running up the stairs to make sure if Emma really was alright.

"Thanks, Jake," Mr Woodhouse said gratefully. "I can always count on you."

**...**

_Tap, tap, tappety, tap, tap._

"Just go home, Jake!" Emma cried when she heard the familiar knock on her bedroom door

Jake had shown her the secret knock when she was only six years old, telling her that whenever she heard that knock, she would know he was at the door. She had heard that knock a great many times throughout the years...

The door swung open. "I'm sorry, you said 'Come in, Jake', didn't you?"

"No, and you know it," Emma grumbled, turning away from him and hugging her large white teddy bear.

It was one of the few stuffed animals that had survived from her childhood and had earned the right to sit on her bed. She felt like a child cuddling it now, but it wasn't as though anyone else was around to tease her about it. She knew Jake wouldn't.

He sat down on the bed beside her.

"What's wrong, Em?" he asked gently.

She looked up from her teddy bear and stared at him in astonishment, wondering why he was even bothering to ask her such a question.

"Were you not there, Jake? Did you not see... _her?"_

"Who? Adele?" Jake asked innocently. "Sure. What's the problem?"

Emma sighed. "Don't you find it even remotely weird that my dad has a _woman friend?"_

Jake tried to hide his amusement, seeing how genuinely upset Emma seemed to be.

"Em, your dad has been alone for the past eighteen years now. I think it's great that he's finally got a... _woman friend."_

"He hasn't been alone!" Emma cried petulantly. "He's always had Izzy... and he's always had _me."_

She looked down for a moment, playing with the tufts of the teddy bear's fur. Jake wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the beginnings of a tear well in Emma's eyes. He deliberately turned away, not wanting to embarrass her.

"I bet she's a gold-digger," Emma finally said sullenly. "Did you see those diamond earrings she was wearing? She obviously has expensive taste. She must be on the look-out for a sugar daddy and now she's gotten her claws into Dad."

Jake nearly burst out laughing at the idea of the valetudinarian Mr Woodhouse being some younger woman's _sugar daddy._

"Your father is perfectly capable of taking care of himself, Emma," he reassured. "And she didn't seem like a gold-digger to me. I thought she was quite nice, actually."

"You met her for, like, two minutes? How could you possibly know she was nice?"

"I could say the same to you. You met her for the exact same amount of time, yet you've already assumed she's a gold-digger."

Emma went silent and Jake knew his point had hit home.

"I hate it when you're right. I'm being stupid, aren't I?" she said quietly. "It's just... _I'm _supposed to be the special person in Dad's life."

"There's room for him to have other special people in his life," Jake counselled, feeling as though he was talking to a child. As mature and capable as Emma was, he realised that she was acting a bit childish right now, and he thought he could understand why.

Since Isabella had married, it had always been just Emma and her father. As a result, they were closer to each other than most fathers and daughters were.

He remembered an eight-year-old Emma once declaring that she would _never _marry because she wanted to live at home for the rest of her life and take care of her father. It was now twelve years since she had made that declaration and the bond between her and Mr Woodhouse was still as strong as ever.

It was little wonder that Emma was so reluctant to think of another woman potentially taking first priority in her father's heart. _But no woman really could_, Jake knew.

Mr Woodhouse adored both of his daughters, but his younger one had always held a special place in his heart. No woman could ever take that away from her.

_And that, _Jake realised, _was what Emma really needed to hear._

He tentatively put his arm around her for the second time that evening.

"She can't replace you, Em," he soothed. "Your dad _loves _you so much. That is never going to change, woman friend or no woman friend."

"But it must be serious for Dad to have brought her home," Emma replied mournfully. "To have her sitting on the couch with him at night, holding his hand _and _calling him Henry... at this rate, they will be announcing their engagement any day!"

"Would it be so bad to have a stepmother?" Jake mused. "They're not all wicked and evil like they're portrayed in fairytales, you know."

Emma shrugged. "I've never really thought about having a stepmother," she said honestly. "I never thought I'd have one."

Then her brow furrowed. "But what makes this whole thing really hard to accept," she said quietly, "is that Dad didn't even tell me about it. He usually tells me _everything, _Jake... why did he keep this a secret from me?"

"Maybe he was just waiting for the right time to tell you," Jake ventured, ruefully thinking that if this was the case, Mr Woodhouse was not the only man in this position.

"Maybe," Emma said glumly but she sounded unconvinced.

Then she sighed and squared her shoulders resolutely. "Well, I suppose I must go downstairs and apologise for causing such a scene."

Jake smiled genuinely upon hearing this. This was just one of the many things he loved about Emma. She sometimes did hurtful things but was always willing to admit when she was wrong and she never hesitated to apologise and ask for forgiveness.

"I'll come with you," he offered, and they walked downstairs together.

**...**

Adele was still in the living room, but she was gathering her belongings and was obviously getting ready to go.

"Going so soon?"

Adele started at the sound of Emma's voice but seemed reassured by the relative pleasantness of her tone.

"Well, it's getting late..." she said hesitantly, obviously not sure how to react to Emma's sudden friendliness.

"It's not that late. Let me get you a drink," Emma replied calmly. "And maybe you'd like to try some of my sister's homemade shortbread. It's got walnuts in it and it's absolutely superb."

The hesitancy melted from Adele's face and she smiled. "Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, that sounds lovely. Do you need help with anything?"

Only Jake could see Emma's lip tremble slightly before she replied confidently, "No, I can handle it."

"Good girl," he whispered as he followed Emma into the kitchen.

She looked at him contemplatively. "I'm not being nice for _her _sake, you know. It's for Dad. I just _hope _she doesn't wind up breaking his heart."

"I'm sure he appreciates it too," Jake said gently. He glanced at his watch. "I think I'd better go and leave you to get to know Adele."

"Oh, must you go?" Emma said in alarm. "I won't feel nearly as noble towards her without you here to make me feel guilty!"

Jake raised an eyebrow and pretended to look cross. "Make you feel guilty? Is that all I'm good for?"

"Of course not," Emma replied instantly. She impulsively flung her arms around him and gave him a huge hug.

"Thanks for everything tonight, Jake," she whispered softly. "You can drive my car home if you'd like."

"That's alright, I'll walk. I've still got to pick my car up from the Weston's in the morning," Jake replied, feeling slightly tingly after Emma's hug.

"And remember," he said softly as he prepared to leave, "you will _always _be number one in my heart too."

It was as close as he would allow himself to get to admitting his true feelings for Emma.

If only he had turned around while he was walking away.

He might have seen Emma standing frozen on the front step, her lips curved in a radiant smile, wondering why the thoughtful words of her best friend had brought a sudden and uncontrollable blush to her cheeks.

_**Author's Note: Virtual Belgian seashell chocolates and thanks to Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, iambbq, Lady Dudley, AnGeL-oF-aWeSoMeNeSs, TheImaginationAddict and Saved4EverAndEver for reviewing the last chapter! =)**_

_**I loved hearing your wonderings about who the mysterious dark-haired woman might be. As you can see, I've decided to create an original character – I think I've borrowed too many of Austen's already! **_

_**READERS' POLL: What are your thoughts on Adele? I always wondered if Mr Woodhouse might have mellowed a bit more if he had a relationship... and whether that might have left Emma more free to pursue her own dreams.**_

_**Also, besides Jake and Emma (because I kind of take it for granted that you like them), who is your favourite character in this story and why?**_


	16. Of Admonitions and Advice

**Warning: This chapter makes reference to depression.**

A couple of days later, Daniel Weston was in his office, replying to clients' emails when he was interrupted with a phone call.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr Weston," Marianne said apologetically. "But your lunch date is here and she wanted me to let you know."

"My lunch date?" Daniel replied, mystified. As far as he knew, he hadn't made any lunch plans for that afternoon – he'd been far too busy.

Nevertheless, he saw it as a good opportunity to take a break from work, and so he locked his computer and headed outside to satisfy his curiosity.

He did a double take when he saw who his mysterious lunch date was.

"Izzy?" he exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

And suddenly noticing that she was alone, he then questioned, "Where are the kids?"

"Your wife is babysitting them," Isabella said evenly. "She thinks I'm getting my hair done."

She grimaced slightly as she fingered her split ends. "Which I _will _be doing... right after you and I have lunch."

"Lunch?" Dan replied stupidly, still not understanding what his friend's sister-in-law was doing outside his office. He wondered if Jake knew anything about this.

"Lunch," she repeated firmly. "And unless you want to arouse even more attention from the colleagues who are staring at us right now, we should probably get going."

Dan's head snapped up and to his dismay, several of his colleagues were indeed watching him intently.

"Alright, then," he groaned. "But you'll have to explain yourself at lunch."

Isabella smiled triumphantly. "Of course I will. And I'm craving pad thai, so how about we go to the little Thai restaurant at the corner?"

**...**

"So how did it go with Adele?" Jake asked curiously as he and Emma waited to be seated at one of their favourite cafes.

"Yeah, it went alright," Emma said with a shrug. "I tried to give her a chance like you suggested and she seems like a nice person."

"I'm glad," Jake replied sincerely as they followed the pretty waitress' gesture to a table for two.

Part of him wanted to ask more questions but he could tell that although Emma seemed to have accepted Adele as a nice enough person, she wasn't quite ready to talk about her comfortably yet. And that was fine with him, because he had more pressing questions on his mind.

"So I heard you and Frank went out for a game of laser tag yesterday," he commented, trying to sound casual, and in his opinion, failing miserably.

Emma took a sip of water. "Yeah, we did," she answered calmly.

Jake wanted to probe further but was interrupted by the waitress who had come by to take their orders.

"Are you ready yet?" she asked with a friendly smile.

Emma scanned her menu quickly. "Yes, I think I'll go for the chicken schnitzel sandwich with chips, please."

The waitress made a quick notation on her pad and then turned to Jake with a dazzling smile. "And for you?"

The dazzling smile unfortunately didn't have the desired impact on Jake, who was too preoccupied with thinking about Emma's 'date' with Frank Churchill.

"I'd like a steak, well done, and a salad, please."

"Coming up," the waitress said with a slight frown. She wasn't used to being ignored but she figured the guy must be doing so because his girlfriend was there.

"She was flirting with you," Emma teased as the waitress walked away.

Jake looked confused. "Was she? I didn't notice," he said honestly. "So back to you and Churchill and the laser tag – was this a date or something?"

"No!" Emma exclaimed with a laugh. "Taylor rang me yesterday and mentioned that Frank had never played laser tag before and could I take him. That's all."

"Could you take him? Why couldn't _Taylor _take him?"

"Oh, she's not a fan of laser tag," Emma said blithely. "A five-year-old kid defeated her the last time we played and she's never really forgotten that."

She turned her hazel eyes upon Jake. "But enough about me," she said teasingly. "How did Caroline react when she realised you'd left her stranded at Lucas' party?"

Jake groaned. He hadn't meant to leave Caroline stranded at the party, but when he'd seen Emma so obviously distressed, he'd somehow completely forgotten about his 'date'. Fortunately Lucas had been gentlemanly and driven the hysterical woman home.

He'd apologised to Caroline, of course, and tried to explain that there had been a bit of an emergency. She was still sulking, though, and had made it clear that he would have to do a lot of grovelling if he wanted to get back on her good side.

Trouble was, he wasn't sure he actually cared about getting back on her good side.

"She's not too happy," he confessed. "But I've apologised and I'm not sure what else I can do to placate her."

"You could try buying her something sparkly," Emma said with a glint in her eye. "Nothing like a little bling to make a woman forget her anger."

"I'll keep that in mind for the next time I do something to make you angry," Jake retorted, amused. "But I think Caroline has plenty of her own bling already."

Lunch passed by all too quickly and soon Emma was walking Jake back to his office building.

"Hey, I just remembered that I wanted to give this to Taylor," Emma remarked, retrieving a CD from her bag. "I burned this for a few days ago and it's just been sitting in here. Would you mind giving it to Dan for me, please?"

"Sure," Jake said. "But maybe you can give it to him yourself. Let me just check if he's in."

He walked over to the main reception desk.

"Hi Meg," he greeted the receptionist. "Do you know if Mr Weston is in at the moment?"

"Oh, he went out to lunch with a woman about half an hour ago," Meg answered. "I don't know where they went."

"Was he with a Spanish-looking brunette?" Jake asked, figuring that Taylor had probably come to the office to take Dan to lunch.

"Oh, no, sir," Meg said, shaking her head. "He was with a tall blonde."

Emma gasped softly when she heard this and Jake shot her a warning look.

"Thanks, Meg," he said airily and he hastily led Emma into his own private office, as he could tell she was about to explode.

**...**

"I don't believe it!" Emma exclaimed, pacing angrily up and down Jake's office. "Do you think he could really be cheating on Taylor?"

"I don't think anything. The man's innocent until proven guilty," Jake interjected. "The woman might have been a client, perhaps? Or one of our colleagues?"

"Yeah, you sound real convincing there," Emma said dryly, continuing to pace.

"Em, if you wear my carpet out with all that pacing, I expect you to pay for the repairs."

"Well, I always am telling you that white carpet would suit your office much better than grey," Emma pointed out, laughing. But she did stop pacing and plunked herself down on a desk chair.

"White carpet would just be asking for trouble."

"But it's pretty!"

Jake rolled his eyes. "Can we get back to the topic at hand?"

"You mean, what am I going to tell Taylor?"

"You're not going to tell Taylor anything," Jake interrupted. "There's nothing to tell, Em!"

Emma crossed her arms and glared at him. "The husband of one of my best friends went out to lunch with a mysterious tall blonde woman and I shouldn't tell her about it?"

She thought for a moment. "I wonder if this is why Taylor has been out of reach lately..."

"All I'm saying is, maybe we should ask Dan about this before we jump to conclusions."

"Alright," Emma conceded grudgingly. "But _you _will have to do the asking because the way I'm feeling right now, I'm very likely to rip his head off before any questioning gets done."

"Noted."

"Well, I've got to get to uni, anyway. I've got two lectures this afternoon," Emma said reluctantly. "But you text me the moment you find out what's happening, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Jake replied, giving her a salute, which made Emma giggle as she walked out the door.

**...**

"I'll have the vegetable pad thai, please," Isabella ordered. "And please don't skimp on the peanuts."

"Beef massaman curry and rice for me, please," Dan said.

As the waitress left, menus in hand, Dan turned to Isabella and said, "Now would you kindly tell me what the _hell _is going on?"

"I've been talking to Taylor..."

Dan's face went white. "She told you everything?"

"As far as I know, yes," Isabella said carefully.

"Well, what more can I say?" Dan shrugged. "You obviously know how I feel about the situation already."

"I know how _Taylor _thinks you feel about the situation," Isabella said coolly. She looked at him straight in the eye. "But I have a feeling that you haven't been completely honest with her."

"Everything I told Tay was true!" Daniel protested. "We just got married and it's a bit soon for us to be thinking about kids and we can't afford for her to quit work just yet..."

"Oh, I believe you," Isabella reasoned. "But I just think there's a deeper significance to this than you're letting on. Most couples don't wind up fighting daily battles because they had different opinions on something."

She held Dan's gaze until he relented and looked sheepishly at her. "I guess it's kind of stupid," he said hesitantly. 

"Try me."

Daniel sighed. "Well, it all started when I was in uni and my mum unexpectedly got pregnant..."

"Pregnant when you were in uni?" Isabella repeated, puzzled. "But that would mean you were... and she was..."

"I was nineteen and she was forty five," Dan said quietly. "The doctors – everyone – thought she was too old to have this baby and tried to persuade her not to, but she was determined."

His eyes took on a sad, faraway look. "It might still have been all right, but she was also still working full-time right until she was eight months pregnant. She was saving all of her maternity leave until after she'd had the baby."

"And then what happened?" Isabella asked gently.

Dan's face crumpled. "She started going into labour a month early. I was at work when she called me and asked me to take her to the hospital. We didn't get there soon enough. She miscarried the baby and then... everything changed."

"Changed how?"

"She went into severe depression," Dan said sadly. "Suddenly nothing could make her smile anymore – not Dad, not my sister, not me. She would have horrible nightmares and wake up screaming in the middle of the night. She insisted on keeping all of the stuff that would've been the baby's, and we'd find her in the nursery at 2am, singing lullabies to an invisible child. And she never treated my sister and me as her children again. We always felt as though when she looked at us, she wondered why we were spared and this child was lost."

"Oh, Dan," Isabella said softly, tears welling up in her eyes. "I had no idea."

Dan continued as though he hadn't heard her comment.

"She went into a mental institution a few years later," he said quietly. "Taylor doesn't know about this. She thinks my mother didn't come to the wedding because she and my dad had an ugly divorce and don't get along anymore."

"And she's never wondered about that?" Isabella asked incredulously.

"She's asked if we can visit my mother a few times," Daniel admitted. "But I just keep telling her that I don't want her to meet my mother because it would cause difficulties." He laughed bitterly. "And it would."

He looked accusingly at Isabella. "And now I suppose you're going to tell her."

"Well, she deserves to know, Dan," Izzy said softly. "She thinks that it's her fault that you don't want to have children and she's having serious doubts about whether she can accept this."

Dan looked remorseful and pushed his uneaten curry away.

"My poor girl," he said quietly. "You're right – she deserves to know. I should have told her before, but I didn't want her to freak out and think my family was weird."

"You're married. Your family is _her _family now too," Isabella replied firmly. "You can't help what happened to your mother but you can't let it affect your marriage and your future either. Taylor _loves _you, Daniel. Don't shut her out and make her think that you don't love _her_."

"You're right," Daniel acknowledged, bowing his head humbly. "I do need to tell her."

"And there's no time like the present," Isabella said sternly. 

Daniel looked at her in surprise. "You mean I should tell her... right now?"

"Yes! And tell her in person. Don't let her waste another minute thinking that your marriage has gone down the drain."

A fervent light shone in Dan's eyes and he nodded emphatically.

"You're right. You're so right, Izzy. Thank you. Thank you!"

He pulled out his wallet, thrust a few bills on the table and kissed a surprised Isabella on the cheek.

"I'm going home to see her right now!"

"You do that," Isabella said, pleased. "Just promise me you'll make sure my kids are out of the way while you and Tay are making up."

"You're not going to pick them up now?" Dan asked in surprise.

"Oh, no," Isabella said coyly. "I told you already, remember? I'm going to get my hair done."

_**Author's Note: Virtual Anzac biscuits and thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter – TheImaginationAddict, iambbq, Lady Dudley, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, Emaelin, xx and Ami4.**_

_**I always love reviews, but I would ESPECIALLY appreciate it if you would leave feedback for this chapter. I felt a bit apprehensive writing it as it tackles a very serious issue and I hope that I have handled it appropriately.**_

_**For those who prefer more light-hearted stories, please check out my other Emma/Jake story – it's called A Christmas Medley and I just posted Chapter 3 recently.**_

_**Also I've just created a Twitter account! Feel free to follow me if you want updates on my stories, sneak peeks into future chapters, random discussion/interaction. The link is on my profile – don't forget to say hello and introduce yourself! =)**_

...


	17. Of Makeovers and Making Up

"Finished!" the hairdresser exclaimed triumphantly.

She looked thoughtfully at Isabella and nodded her head in satisfaction. "And if I do say so myself, you look _fab. _Just have a look at yourself!_"_

Isabella gazed at her reflection in awe. She barely recognised the woman in the mirror.

Her long straight ash-blonde hair was gone. And in its place was a mass of rippling curls, an unfamiliar shade of glowing chestnut.

"What do you think?" the hairdresser asked, smiling broadly as she observed Isabella's stupefied expression. "Do you love it or do you LOVE it?"

"I LOVE it!" Isabella replied excitedly as she gingerly touched her new curls. "I've ALWAYS wanted to dye my hair but my father would never let my sister and I do it when we were younger. He was too worried about the chemicals or something like that."

In truth, she hadn't been planning to dye her hair that day either. She'd booked an appointment for her 'usual' which involved a shampoo, trimming off her split ends and a blow-dry to finish.

But for some inexplicable reason, she'd just had the urge to do something totally different for a change. She might be a mother of three but since when did that mean she couldn't treat herself to something special? And she was _very _pleased with the results.

On her way to pick up her kids, she couldn't help glancing in the mirror every few minutes and smiling at the unfamiliar reflection. Until she actually got to the Weston home and paused before she got out of the car.

Dan's car was in the driveway and she hoped with all her heart that he and Taylor had managed to sort things out.

She needn't have worried. The door was answered by a glowing Taylor, whose happy expression quickly drove all her fears away.

"Thank you, Izzy!" she bubbled instantly, wrapping her arms around her friend. "Dan has explained _everything – _I now understand where he's been coming from. He told me you told him to just tell me the truth. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so glad," Izzy said genuinely as she hugged her friend back. "I _knew _you would work things out eventually. You love each other too much."

Taylor smiled. "I thought so too but I have to admit I was a bit worried there for a while!"

She suddenly seemed to notice that there was something different about Isabella.

"Izzy... you've had a hair makeover!"

"Yes. Well, I told you that I was getting my hair done," Isabella said shyly.

"I know, but you never said you were going to dye and curl it!" Taylor exclaimed. "You look stunning!"

"It's the new me," Isabella said with a grin. "I felt like such a frump during this last pregnancy and I decided it was time for a change."

"Hey, Mummy!" Jacob squealed as he ran to the door and hugged his mother's legs tightly.

"You changed your hair!" Henry remarked observantly.

"Yes, do you like it?" Isabella asked, smiling at her son.

He looked thoughtful and then he nodded.

"It looks lovely, Izzy," Dan remarked as he walked to the door with a still-sleeping Emma Juliet.

"She fell asleep about an hour ago," he whispered softly as he handed the baby to her mother.

"Great. Thank you for looking after the kids," Isabella said quietly as she gently rocked her daughter in her arms.

Daniel shook his head slowly. "No. Thank _you."_

**...**

"And so Jacques Necker was recalled as France's finance minister on August 28, 1788..."

Emma sighed heavily as she put her pen down. There was no point in trying to take notes when she wasn't even listening.

Normally she enjoyed her Revolutions class and found it easy to pay attention. But with the afternoon's unexpected discovery that Daniel had been having lunch with a woman who wasn't his wife... well, her lecturer could have been talking about the colour of his boxer shorts and she still wouldn't have noticed.

She felt righteously angry on Taylor's behalf, sure that her sweet, innocent friend had no idea what her husband had been up to that afternoon. Was it her job to tell Taylor the truth?

Emma and Taylor had been friends for a long time now. While she'd always considered Jake to be her _best _friend, she simultaneously thought of Taylor as her best _girl _friend.

Taylor had been coming over to the Woodhouse home since they were all children and Emma had always claimed her as another older sister. And whenever she and Izzy had fought, she had even gone so far as to claim Taylor as her _only _older sister.

When Emma had first become interested in the piano, it had been Taylor who had offered to give her lessons. Emma was not the easiest pupil to have, as she was interested in such a great variety of things that she never put much effort into practising and was easily distracted during her lessons. Yet Taylor had been a faithful teacher and it was partially due to her patience and diligence that her student had progressed quickly.

She had promised Jake that she wouldn't accuse Daniel of anything without giving him a chance to explain himself. But now she was hungry for an explanation and knew that she had to go to the Weston's place as quickly as she could. With any luck, she would manage to have a private conversation with Dan.

Emma quickly began putting her books and pens away.

"Excuse me," she whispered to the student at the end of the row and he moved aside to let her pass.

It was the first time that she had ever left a Revolutions lecture early... but she reasoned that family was more important. In her mind, Taylor _was _family.

**...**

Emma was relieved to see Dan's car when she pulled up outside the Weston home.

She could hear the faint strains of Beethoven coming from the side room that Taylor used as a studio and knew that she was in the midst of teaching a lesson.

"Emma!" Dan exclaimed in surprise as he opened the door. "Tay's got a lesson at the moment. Do you want to sit and wait or just come back in an hour?"

"I didn't come to see Tay. I came to see _you," _Emma said evenly as she walked in.

"Uh... OK," Dan said slowly, following Emma as she marched into the living room and plonked herself down on an armchair. "What can I do for you, Em?"

Emma crossed her arms. "I was at your office today," she said pointedly. "I was having lunch with Jake and I wanted to give you a DVD for Taylor."

"Yeah, he gave it to me," Daniel nodded. "Thanks for burning that for her, by the way."

This wasn't going the way that Emma had planned. She'd thought Dan would at least _look _guilty and then she could forget about trying to talk to him and move straight on with the accusation part. But Dan didn't look shifty at all. Perhaps he had no conscience...

"It's strange because you were out when Jake and I left for lunch and you still weren't there when we got back," she remarked, watching Dan closely. It was unlikely that he had a tic like hers, but surely there would be _some _visible sign of guilt...

"I took a long lunch," Dan said airily.

Emma's hazel eyes flashed angrily. "Who _with?"_

Daniel looked startled at her vehemence. "Well, actually... with Izzy."

"Izzy?" Emma gasped. "_My sister?"_

He looked amused. "I don't know about you, but she's the only Izzy I know."

"But... but _why?"_

Daniel's smirk vanished and he suddenly looked deadly serious.

"She was there to help save my marriage," he answered quietly. "Taylor and I really owe her one. She confronted me and made me see what I'd done wrong and that I'd treated my wife badly."

"Izzy did that?" Emma asked incredulously.

_She _was used to being the one with initiative. _She _was the one who helped fix people's problems.

"Oh, yes. She'd make a great marriage counsellor."

"So _Izzy _was the tall blonde you had lunch with?"

"That's right," Dan agreed. "Although she's not blonde anymore!" he said with a chuckle.

Then his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How did you know that I had lunch with a tall blonde?"

Emma reddened. She'd slipped up.

"I wasn't _spying _on you or anything," she said defensively. "Like I said, I wanted to give you a DVD for Taylor. When I couldn't find you, the downstairs receptionist said you'd gone out to lunch with a tall blonde. I added two and two... and I guess I got six."

Understanding dawned in Dan's eyes. "You thought I was cheating on Taylor?"

"Well, you wouldn't be the first guy who did something stupid after having a fight with his wife," Emma said softly.

Dan shook his head angrily. "I'm not like that, though," he protested. "I love Taylor. When I said those vows about 'forsaking all others' and 'till death do us part' on our wedding day, I _meant _them."

"I'm sorry," Emma said, a little shamefacedly. She knew she'd insulted Dan by questioning his integrity and now that she knew he had been faithful to his wife, she felt more than a bit silly.

_Jake was right, _she thought despondently as she remembered how he'd admonished her to let Dan explain himself. _Why don't I just save time and listen to him?_

"I'm sorry," she said contritely, lowering her head. "I shouldn't have assumed anything."

Dan's eyes softened at the sight of Emma's repentant face. He knew she'd meant well, although she had made a mistake.

Emma was kind and good-natured at heart and always did things with the best intentions. However her rash impetuosity and belief that she knew best did get her into trouble often.

"It's alright," he said gruffly. "No harm was done, Emma. But you need to be more careful about how you judge others in the future."

"Oh, I will be!" Emma answered fervently. "Oh, thank you, Dan, for being so gracious. I really am sorry!"

Dan's mouth crinkled into a smile. "Well, it's hard to stay mad at you when you were only looking out for my wife," he acknowledged.

"Just one more thing," Emma said earnestly. "Now I'm not accusing you of anything, Dan, but I just want to know. Does your secretary have feelings for you?"

"Who, Marianne?" Dan exclaimed in surprise and then he began to laugh.

"It wasn't meant to be a funny question," Emma said stiffly.

Daniel forced himself to stop laughing. "Oh, I know," he said solemnly. "It's just that if you knew Marianne's story, you'd understand why I laughed. She's been in love with a man named Jack Willoughby for four years now. She's turned down several proposals from other men because of him. He's also the reason she applied for a job in my office – he's a lawyer at the firm too. It's her way of staying close to him."

"I see," Emma replied thoughtfully, silently chastising herself for having suspected that Marianne was a husband-stealing floozy. Isabella had confided in her about Marianne a couple of days ago and Emma's hackles had gone up straight away.

"Why does she have to work at the firm to stay close to him? Doesn't he have feelings for her?"

"I certainly hope he does," Dan mused. "For her sake. But honestly, I have a feeling that he's dangling her on a string like a puppet. She's made it clear that her heart is his if he wants it and he takes her out occasionally but they're not in an official relationship."

"Ugh, I hate men like that," Emma grumbled, her sympathies immediately aligning themselves with Marianne. Privately she was surprised that any man would pass up the opportunity of being in relationship with a 22-year-old model lookalike.

Jack Willoughby must be either very, very handsome... or very, very stupid.

**...**

"Now I wasn't happy about what happened at the party," Caroline said firmly. "But I'm willing to let it go this time, Jake. If you'll make it up to me by coming along with me to a very special event next weekend."

"What kind of special event?" Jake asked suspiciously.

"A wedding," she said gleefully. "My brother Charles is getting married and I'd love for you to be there."

"A wedding?" Jake replied dubiously.

"Yes, it's going to be at Netherfield," Caroline said brightly, referring to her family's estate in the lush Hunter Valley. "It'll be lots of fun, honestly."

"I don't know, Caroline," Jake said hesitantly. Being her date for her brother's wedding sounded like a pretty serious thing. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do something like that. He had a feeling that she wanted to get back together with him but _he _wasn't sure that he wanted to get back with _her._

Caroline noticed Jake's hesitation and hastened to offer the bait. "My father will be there, of course," she said casually. "I'd be happy to introduce you."

Her father happened to be Connor Bingley – one of _the _most respected men in the worldwide legal field. Jake had never met him but he admired him tremendously. He appreciated the man's obvious fairness and justice combined with his wide general knowledge and sharp intelligence. In fact, when he'd first thought about studying law, he'd silently dreamed about working with Connor Bingley.

Caroline watched the flood of emotions that raced across Jake's face and she smiled in satisfaction. She knew he'd taken the bait.

"Dress is formal," she said smugly. "I'll text you with the other details and we can work things out next week."

"Alright," Jake agreed quietly. For a moment, he felt like his younger self – a keen prospective law student who would have done _anything _to meet Connor Bingley. And if he had to escort Connor's daughter to a wedding... well, so be it.

He would worry about the consequences later.

**...**

_**Author's Note: Virtual Hershey's Kisses and thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter – Stephy-Lou-Clark Weasley, TheImaginationAddict, iambbq, margaretelizabeth209 and Lady Dudley.**_

_**Thoughts on this chapter? What do you think Caroline's up to?**_

_**If you've got a Twitter account, feel free to follow me and say hello! The link is on my profile.**_


	18. Of Beaches and Bakeries

"Now take a look at that view and tell me you don't think Sydney is beautiful," Emma challenged, her hazel eyes sparkling.

Frank's lips curved into a smile. "Oh, it's beautiful, alright."

Emma felt herself blushing under the intensity of his gaze. "You're not even _looking, _Frank."

"I've got all the view I need from right here," he said airily, looking amused by her discomfited expression.

"_Frank," _she protested.

"Fine, fine," he acquiesced, holding his hands up in surrender. He turned to look at the view and involuntarily sucked in a quick breath.

Emma smiled in triumph. This little beach was one of Sydney's best-kept secrets and she normally guarded this secret jealously. But occasionally it was fun to share it with someone new.

The cliffside offered an incredible look-out over a shimmering blue ocean, golden-white sand, and at this time of evening, a vivid sunset.

"I wish I could paint," Frank murmured in awe, unable to move his eyes from the stunning colours which streaked across the sky. "I would love to be able to capture this scene."

"I've tried doing a watercolour of it before," Emma admitted. "But I don't think I did it justice. I'm not sure that anybody could, really – Nature's beauty is infinitely greater to anything human attempts could produce."

"You sound so poetic," Frank said in surprise.

"Sorry," she replied sheepishly. "I get a bit carried away with my descriptions sometimes."

"No, don't apologise," he said softly. "I like it."

**...**

Frank Churchill had now been in Sydney for exactly a week and a half. In that time, he'd somehow become extraordinarily popular.

Through Daniel's recommendation, he'd scored a part-time job as an assistant in the university library.

He'd settled easily into life at Sydney Uni, joining several of the clubs and societies and becoming a regular attendee at Manning's weekly trivia nights.

Daniel and Taylor had thrown a party to introduce him to people and they'd definitely succeeded in their goal. It wasn't long before Frank no longer needed their introductions – he was flooded with requests from people who wanted to be introduced to _him._

It wasn't long before people in uni started picking up that _Emma Woodhouse _knew this mysterious good-looking new guy and soon _she _was being approached by a number of girls around campus – friends, acquaintances and complete strangers alike – all wanting to know more about Frank Churchill.

**...**

"He's so cute, Emma!" Danielle Harper gushed excitedly. "I can't believe you've known him since you were a teenager! How have you been keeping that a secret?"

Emma sighed quietly as she took a swig of orange juice. She'd hoped to find some peace and quiet by going to a small off-campus cafe for lunch but had wound up being ambushed by two of the girls in her English literature class. Life wasn't fair.

"I don't really know him all that well," she replied truthfully. "Yes – we met when we were young, but it's not as though we kept in touch all this time. I hadn't seen him in years before he came to Sydney last week."

Danielle and her friend Elise looked extremely pleased at this tidbit.

"Do you know if he's single?" Elise asked coyly.

"I really don't know," Emma replied flatly as she unwrapped her turkey sandwich. "It's none of my business, anyway."

She didn't want to be rude, but she was getting more than a little impatient with all these girls. Since when was _she _the expert on Frank Churchill?

"He'd have mentioned it already if he had one," Danielle said confidently.

"Yes, I think you're right," Elise murmured thoughtfully. "Which leaves the playing field wide open for us!"

The two girls giggled and slapped high-fives.

Emma felt as though she was having lunch with a couple of teenagers. These girls _did _realise that even if Frank started dating one of them, the other would miss out, right?

But she decided to keep quiet and leave the girls to their dreams. She listened in silence as they continued babbling happily and was quietly relieved when she had finished with her sandwich and could excuse herself.

**...**

She started walking back to campus, determined to find somewhere quiet where she could be alone and get some studying done.

Alas, the peace could not continue...

"Emma!"

Emma turned warily and tried to hide her grimace as the willowy redhead strode towards her. Natalie was smiling eagerly and Emma had recently learned that this catlike smile could only mean one thing...

"I was wondering if I could borrow your Classics textbook? I left mine at home and need it before my tutorial this afternoon. I know you've already had yours today, so..."

"Oh! Oh, sure you can," Emma replied, feeling ashamed of herself for having judged Natalie.

She rummaged through her backpack and pulled out her textbook. "If you could give it back to me by, say, 5pm, that would be great. I need to do some reading tonight."

"Uh..." Natalie seemed at a loss for words.

Emma looked at her quizzically. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, not exactly," Natalie said casually. _Too casually._

"It's just that... well, there's no point in borrowing your textbook and then having to meet up with you later. I don't want to put you out. Maybe we can go to the library and I can just photocopy it? Then you can take it back straightaway."

"Oh, OK," Emma said in surprise. She glanced quickly at her watch. "Yeah, I've got another 40 minutes before my next class, so that's fine."

"And while we're at the library," Natalie commented, "maybe you could introduce me to Frank Churchill?"

Emma groaned inwardly. She should have _known _there'd be an ulterior motive involved.

"Yeah, OK, _if _he's there," she murmured reluctantly.

"Oh, he's there," Natalie said with a grin.

**...**

Sure enough, just as Natalie had predicted, Frank was working in the photocopy room.

He smiled when Emma and Natalie came in.

"Hi Emma! How are you doing?"

"Not bad," she replied shortly, all too aware of the girl eagerly waiting behind her.

"Frank, this is Natalie..."

She frowned as she realised she didn't even know the girl's surname.

"Natalie Cooper," the redhead said sweetly, holding out her hand. "Are there any photocopiers available? Could you show me how to use one?"

Frank looked slightly bewildered, as well he might. The room was half empty, so there were definitely machines available and he'd never met a uni student before who didn't know how to use a photocopier.

"They're pretty straightforward," he said with a slight frown. "You just put your book down on the glass plate, press 'Start' and then 'Copy'..."

"Oh, it'd be so much easier if you just showed me," Natalie trilled.

Emma turned away so that Natalie wouldn't see her rolling her eyes. She hated when girls pretended to be helpless – it made a mockery of everything the suffragettes had fought for.

"So have you been in Sydney long, Frank?" Natalie cooed, as she tucked her photocopies into a pink folder and handed the Classics textbook back to Emma.

"Not long. About a week and a half."

"Have you seen any of the sights yet?"

"My cousin's taken me around a bit," Frank nodded. "I've been to the Rocks, Manly, the big Westfield at Centrepoint Tower..."

"Have you been to the Ivy Pool Club yet?"

Frank shook his head. "No, what's that?"

"It's a _very _exclusive rooftop bar," Natalie purred. "It's gorgeous – it's like a 1960s Palm Spring resort. Very fashionable and trendy. I'm heading there tomorrow and I'm sure I could persuade the management to let me bring another guest."

"Tomorrow, huh?" Frank murmured. "Sorry, I've already got plans with Emma. I think she was going to show me around _her _favourite spots in Sydney."

Emma's eyes darted quickly to his. This was news to her!

"Oh, I see," Natalie said, looking briefly sulky before she quickly arranged her mouth into a frosty smile. "Maybe another time then?"

Frank grunted noncommittally.

Seeing his apparent lack of interest, Natalie flounced out of the photocopier room, but not without first shooting a _very _surprised look at Emma.

**... **

As soon as Natalie was out of sight, Emma put her hands on her hips. "Plans with me, huh?"

"I'm sorry," Frank apologised sheepishly. "I'm not very good at saying no to people."

"I would've thought you'd be used to it by now, considering that I know at least six girls have asked you out since yesterday afternoon," Emma taunted sassily.

Frank groaned. "How did you know?"

She smiled impishly. "Well, they had to get up the nerve to tell _someone _of their plans before they approached you."

Frank sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I won't hold you to tomorrow, by the way," he said quietly. "It was just an excuse I made. You've got no obligation to take me anywhere."

"Well, I do have the day off tomorrow," Emma murmured thoughtfully. "And I guess I do have a few favourite spots in Sydney up my sleeve..."

Frank's eyes lit up. "Oh, really? Like where?"

Emma grinned. "Pick me up at 8 tomorrow and you'll find out."

"8pm? Will that be enough time to see much?"

She dimpled at him. "No, I meant 8_am._ And bring your swimmers."

**...**

Frank had been surprisingly good-humoured when he'd picked her up promptly at 8 the next morning.

It was Emma who was bleary-eyed and silently wishing she'd chosen a later meeting time.

"Can we stop for coffee?" she pleaded.

A cappuccino and a breakfast croissant later, Emma was in a _much _better frame of mind.

"So where are we going, my lady?" Frank questioned, having polished off his bacon and egg roll.

Emma patiently gave him directions and it wasn't long before they'd pulled up outside their first stop of the day.

"Centennial Park," he said thoughtfully, reading the sign out loud. "What are we going to do here? Parks are just swings and stuff, right?"

"Not _this _park," Emma laughed. "And in answer to your other question... I hope you like horses."

**...**

"This place is huge!" Frank exclaimed fifteen minutes later. "I had no idea. When you said park, I was thinking the kind of park that kids play in."

"Kids _can _play in here but it also offers a lot of other activities," Emma explained. "I mean horse-riding is just one of the things you can do here. During summer, we have a moonlight cinema where you can bring a picnic and watch the latest movies on screen out in the open."

"Only during summer?"

"Well, it finishes in March, usually, but yeah, it's over for this season," Emma said reluctantly. "This is fun too, though, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Once I stopped worrying about falling off, that is."

Emma giggled. "You're tall. It wouldn't be too much of a fall for you."

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't bruise any less," he retorted and she sniggered at him.

They enjoyed a long leisurely ride around the park and Frank almost seemed disappointed when it was over. When he found out how expensive it was, he insisted on paying, though.

"That was fun," he murmured as they got back into Taylor's car. She'd told Frank to borrow it since she'd be busy teaching that day.

He sniffed. "Although _somebody _smells a bit like a horse now."

"I hope you mean you," Emma teased. "I happened to bring perfume with me, thank you very much."

He grinned wryly. "Yeah, of course it's me. Mind if I borrow some of your perfume?"

**...**

They'd enjoyed the rest of their day together.

They'd browsed bookshops in Newtown, caught the ferry to Watsons Bay and had fish and chips on the wharf, watched buskers perform in Circular Quay and gone snorkelling in Clovelly.

"I'm getting hungry again," Frank commented as they headed back to the city. He frowned. "I smell like horses and ocean now, though, so I don't know where we're going to eat."

"I have an idea."

At Emma's suggestion, they went to Bourke St Bakery and picked out an array of delicious goodies.

"We definitely need some of their potato and rosemary sourdough bread," she said thoughtfully. "It'll go well with the cheeses we bought from Formaggi Occello."

"The chorizo pizza sounds good," Frank said, looking at the menu. "And the pork and fennel sausage rolls."

"We need dessert too," Emma realised. "We have to get the ginger brulee tarts."

"I'm not a big ginger fan," Frank confessed.

Emma sighed. "Alright, we can get the lemon curd tarts too, but I promise you'll convert once you've tasted the ginger brulee."

Having purchased far more goodies than they could really finish, Emma then gave Frank directions to her favourite little beach.

And this is how they wound up there at sunset.

**...**

In hindsight, Emma wondered if a sunset picnic at a quiet beach had been the best choice for an evening activity, particularly in light of Frank's flirtatious remarks.

She hadn't thought anything of it at the time. She'd simply reasoned that since Frank didn't really want to go into a restaurant or cafe, a picnic was the easiest solution and what better natural setting for a picnic than one of her favourite beaches?

"Don't you think so?"

Emma blinked, startled by Frank's sudden question. She was embarrassed to realise that she'd tuned out while he was talking to her.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said," she apologised quickly.

He smiled. "Oh, I was just thinking about what you said earlier. About Nature's beauty being more than anything humans could replicate. It's a real gift, you know? Even with all the heartbreak and despair in this world, it's like we can still see a remnant of beauty."

He paused. "I'm not explaining this very well..."

"Oh, you are!" Emma enthused. "And you're absolutely right – that's how I think about it too. Sometimes being somewhere like this beach is like a haven for me. It's an escape from all the dark, ugly things that happen in this world. A refuge, if you like."

As the sunset dipped below the ocean, Emma forgot about her fears of whether she'd picked the right evening activity. Instead she stood with Frank on the cliffside, enjoying the feeling of shared camaraderie that only kindred spirits can bring.

_**...**_

_**Author's Note: Thanks to TheImaginationAddict, iambbq, Lady Dudley and Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley for reviewing the last chapter. To all the other readers – I'd really like to hear from you too!**_

_**And for those who might be wondering – yes, these places are all real (although I claim ownership of the private cliffside beach) and the food items from Bourke Street Bakery are real too. **_

_**I don't get paid to advertise (or to write this story, for that matter!) but I will say that I agree with Emma – even if you're not a fan of ginger, those ginger brulee tarts may sway your opinion. If you have the opportunity to taste them – do!**_


	19. Of Burglars and Bombshells

"Home at last," Jake thought with relief, as he reached the front door of his apartment.

Caroline had tried to persuade him to stay overnight at Netherfield but he'd declined her offer.

The wedding hadn't been nearly as torturous as he'd feared. Caroline's brother Charlie seemed like a decent guy and his new wife Jane seemed very sweet. He'd also met several interesting guests, including Will Darcy, who was Charlie's best friend and Jane's sister Elizabeth.

Jake had actually hit it off with Elizabeth Bennet – she was intelligent, mature and witty and somehow reminded him of Emma a great deal. If he'd thought she'd be receptive (and he hadn't been so in love with Emma), he might have asked for her number after the wedding reception.

In fact, he _had _asked her if she was attached to anybody in particular and she had said no.

But he'd seen the way that her eyes flitted towards Will Darcy throughout the evening and he knew that even if she wouldn't admit it, Elizabeth's heart already belonged to somebody.

At first, Caroline had remained doggedly at his side for the wedding and the first hour of the reception. But she'd soon become frustrated when Jake resisted all of her attempts to turn their 'date' into something more romantic.

She'd finally given up when he and Elizabeth had begun discussing Australian politics and arguing over whether Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott would be a _worse _Prime Minister. Fortunately Charlie had plenty of friends and she wasn't short of men who were willing to dance. However it had not turned out to be the evening Caroline had hoped for.

**...**

Jake inserted his key into the lock and then suddenly, he froze. There was a beam of light shining underneath the eaves of his front door.

He was sure he had turned the lights off before he'd left for the weekend.

Instead of unlocking his door straight away, he glanced around surreptitiously, quietly pushed his weekend bag aside and dropped to one knee. He leaned over and cautiously put his ear to the door.

_Thump. Thump._

There were definitely strange noises coming from inside his apartment.

He silently debated whether he should call the police or whether he should try to surprise the intruder. If the intruder was armed, then perhaps he'd be better off calling the police. But he knew that the local police would be busy patrolling the main roads and doing RBTs on a weekend night and that they'd take a long time to get there.

And then suddenly, the decision was made for him.

The door flew open unexpectedly, banging into the side of his head.

Already slightly off-balance from being on one knee, he landed on the floor like a dropped sack of potatoes.

"Jake!" Emma cried in surprise. "What are you doing down there?"

**...**

"I'm so sorry, Jake," Emma repeated for the umpteenth time, as she gently held an ice-pack to his swelling bump.

"It's not your fault," he insisted, wincing as the ice did its work. "I shouldn't have been kneeling on the floor like that in the first place. I just didn't know what to think when I saw that my light was on."

She grinned sheepishly. "I didn't think you'd be back until tomorrow. I let myself in with John's spare key. I was just trying to clean up and maybe stock your fridge so that you wouldn't have to worry about anything when you returned."

"And I appreciate that, Em," he said firmly as he gazed around his apartment with a smile.

Emma certainly had succeeded in helping make his apartment feel more homey. She'd put a vase of fresh gerbera daisies on the table. 'To brighten up the room,' she'd explained.

The dishes he'd left in the sink had been washed and put away and she'd even picked up his dry-cleaning.

But best of all were the fragrant aromas emanating from his kitchen. He hadn't eaten since the first hour of the reception, which now felt like _ages _ago.

"What smells so good?" he asked hungrily.

Emma smiled. "I had a craving for Indian tonight," she confessed. "So we've got chicken tikka masala for you, a vegetable korma for me and some naan bread."

She looked at him worriedly. "But maybe you should rest a bit before you eat."

Jake's mouth was already watering. "I'm fine," he promised as he sat up. "Let's just eat."

**...**

"E.J, I swear you get cuter every day," Taylor declared as she planted a big kiss on the baby's soft cheek.

She and Dan were having dinner at the Knightley house and she'd unofficially taken charge of the kids for the evening.

"She does, doesn't she?" Isabella said with the smile of a proud mother. "I feel like I'm bragging if I say stuff like that about my daughter, but if someone else says it, I'm not going to disagree with them."

"Women!" John laughed. "Dan, Manly's playing against Parramatta tonight. Want to watch a game while these girls talk about babies and shopping?"

"Works for me," Dan agreed, but not before exchanging a smile and a quick kiss with his wife.

At Izzy's suggestion, the two of them had sat down and really _talked _about all they had been through recently. Dan had reassured Taylor that she was the woman he loved and promised that if they were ever blessed with children of their own, he would be _thrilled. _Meanwhile, Tay had done her part in convincing Dan that she loved him – fears, insecurities and all.

It wouldn't be the last hurdle they would ever face as husband and wife, but it was encouraging for both of them to realise that they'd overcome their first.

"Is everything going okay between you and Dan?" Isabella asked quietly, now that she and Taylor were alone.

She was comforted by her friend's happy smile. "Oh, _yes, _Izzy. We're back to normal again. And in a way, it's really great that we went through this temporary setback. As a result, I understand more about his past and what's shaped him into the man he is. He is so much stronger than I ever gave him credit for."

She glanced shyly at her friend. "And now we've actually discussed trying for a baby."

"You're kidding!" Isabella gasped. She hadn't expected them to make _that _much progress. "But what about all the arguments Dan had before? About you having to stop full-time work and having to pay off the mortgage?"

"Well, we're not doing badly financially," Taylor reasoned. "We're actually in a pretty comfortable position compared to most newlyweds. Plus my job has an advantage because I work from home. I can still teach if I'm pregnant, up until the last couple of months, anyway, and Dan suggested making a soundproof nursery so that I could still teach after I've had a baby. We could always use a baby monitor to check on our child. Yes, we are paying off a mortgage but that's not likely to change quickly. If that was our only excuse to _not h_ave a baby, we could still be in the same boat in another 20 years."

"Wow! Sounds like you've put quite a bit of thought into this," Isabella observed, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Taylor blushed. "You know, I think we have," she admitted. "Dealing with his past seems to be exactly what Dan needed. Now he's kind of eager to have a baby too."

Izzy reached over and hugged her friend. "I, for one, can't wait," she said sincerely. "I hope you have a girl. E.J needs a best friend and playmate. Plus, who knows, maybe she'll end up with one of my boys one day!"

Taylor raised her hands and giggled. "Whoa! I thought Emma was the matchmaker of the family," she teased.

Izzy shrugged, nonplussed, as she stirred the spaghetti. "She might think so, but _I_ know a thing or two about it," she said loftily. "And in the meantime, before you have a baby, do you know what the best part is?"

"What?" Taylor asked curiously, leaning over the other woman to sneak a taste of the Bolognese sauce.

Izzy winked mischievously. "You get to have lots of fun trying."

The two women looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Hey, what's going on?" John exclaimed, entering the kitchen, Dan right behind him.

"Yeah, what did we miss?" Dan echoed.

Their husband's genuine curiosity only made the women laugh harder.

"Nothing, honey," Taylor managed to splutter between giggles. "It's a girl thing."

**...**

"So how was the wedding?" Emma asked as she ladled out scoops of ice-cream. After cooking dinner, she hadn't had time to whip up dessert too, but Ben & Jerry's Phish Food was just as good.

"It was nice," Jake said thoughtfully as he dug into his dessert. "They got married on the Bingley family's estate, then took photos at the Hunter Valley Gardens and then we went back to Netherfield for the reception. Get this, Em – they actually have their own banquet hall."

"Fancy," Emma commented. "Do I get to see any of these pics?"

Jake grinned. "Now, Em, you know I'm not much of a photo-taker. But I did manage to snag a few shots, just for you." He pointed at his phone which was lying on the coffee table.

"Nice dress," Emma commented, eyeing the bride's classic white gown. "Looks like a Vera Wang. And ooh – those shoes are Louboutins!"

"It's like you're speaking a foreign language," Jake said, bemused by the unfamiliar names.

Emma grinned and pretended to shake herself. "This is what Taylor did to me when I helped her pick out her wedding dress! All those shops we went into and now I'm on a first-name basis with a bunch of designers."

She continued scrolling through the photos, pausing when she came to one of Jake and Elizabeth. "Who's this?"

"Oh, that's the bride's sister. Her name's Elizabeth," Jake explained. "We wound up talking for most of the reception, actually – she was really nice."

"I see," Emma said slowly. "Where's Caroline? I thought _she w_as your date for this wedding."

Jake grinned. "She was probably on the dance floor with one of the groomsmen at that point. I don't think I impressed her very much at this party."

His face suddenly grew animated. "But Caroline _did _keep her promise, though. She introduced me to her father. Connor Bingley was _amazing, _Em – I only got to talk to him for about ten minutes or so, but the work he does is incredible. Right now he's representing Jordan Alliott – you know, that political prisoner who was supposedly tortured in Israel? It's a case that nobody else can touch – his firm are the only ones credible enough to take it."

"Huh," Emma said absently, her hazel eyes still fixed upon the photo of Jake and Elizabeth.

_Just how acquainted had he become with this girl, anyway? She was sitting awfully close to Jake..._

"And then, believe it or not, Em, he offered me the opportunity of a lifetime!"

"Hm," Emma said distractedly, still looking at the photo.

"Well, aren't you going to ask me what the opportunity was?" he prompted.

She raised her head slowly. "What opportunity, Jake?"

He grinned. "Get this, Em – he offered me a job with his firm."

_Now _he had Emma's attention.

"His firm?" she said weakly, trying to process this information. "But I thought you told me that Caroline's father worked in..."

Her head began to spin.

"That's right!" Jake confirmed excitedly, his green eyes shining. "The job's in London."

_**Author's Note: Thanks to iambbq, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, TheImaginationAddict, Lady Dudley, TheManyFacesofJester and tcdavis for reviewing the last chapter.**_

_**So what do you think is going to happen next? Please review!**_

_**Also, if you'd like to follow me on Twitter, the link is on my profile. Don't forget to say hi!**_


	20. Of Realisations and Regrets

"I can't believe that your father has a girlfriend," Henrietta said in awe. "What do you think of her? Is she nice?"

"I've only met her a few times," Emma reminded her as she stood on her tiptoes and reached for a bowl from the kitchen cupboard. "But yeah, she seems nice enough. You'll have the chance to judge for yourself at the party tonight, anyway."

She turned away and busied herself with chopping the vegetables she'd need for her famous homemade lasagne. She usually loved throwing dinner parties, especially when they were for family and good friends, but she couldn't seem to get any enjoyment from her preparations that afternoon.

All she could think about was _Jake._

As if on cue, her mobile phone began trilling merrily and she froze in place. That was Jake's ringtone. He was calling her.

"Don't answer it!" she yelled instantly to Henrietta, who turned and looked at her with a bewildered expression.

"I, uh, can't talk right now. So much to do," she improvised quickly, gesturing towards the vegetables in front of her. "In fact, you know what? Just turn it off. I'll see everyone tonight, anyway."

She couldn't talk to Jake now. Not until she'd had time to process these strange emotions she was feeling.

When he'd told her that he was going to London last night, melodramatic as it might seem, she'd felt as though a little piece of her heart had been ripped out. And she hadn't known why.

She hadn't felt nearly as devastated when _Taylor _had gone to Boston for a year to study at the Berklee College of Music. She hadn't been upset at all when Isabella had gone to Japan to teach English. Jake had assured her that the job would only be temporary. He simply wanted some experience with Connor Bingley's firm and she was sure that he had no intention of remaining permanently in London.

_So then why did the thought of his imminent departure distress her so much?_

She suddenly became aware of a sharp sting in her left forefinger and looked down in surprise. While her head had been in the clouds, she'd stupidly continued chopping the vegetables automatically and now she'd nicked her finger. It was already starting to bleed a little.

She didn't say anything out loud, knowing that Henrietta was extremely squeamish about blood. Instead she put the knife down and made her way to the 'first-aid' cupboard which her father kept well-stocked. She winced silently as she cleaned her finger with a little antiseptic and then put on a Band-Aid.

"I've finished the trifle!" Henrietta called gaily as she proudly held up a glass bowl layered with jelly, sponge cake, whipped cream and a beautiful crown of fruit. "What should I do with it now?"

"Oh, it needs to chill, so just put it in the fridge," Emma said quickly, glad to have something practical to think about.

Henrietta put the trifle away and then looked at Emma expectantly. "Can I help with anything else?"

"Um..." Emma racked her brain frantically for something that Henrietta could do. There wasn't much left to do, really. They'd finished the salad, a cheesecake and now the trifle were chilling in the fridge, the shepherd's pie and chicken were ready to go, her roast vegies and garlic bread were already in the oven... It was just the lasagne left, really, and she was perfectly capable of finishing that on her own.

She hadn't invited that many people over – it was just what she thought of as the usual crowd. Her father was coming and she'd invited him to bring Adele along too. Izzy and John, provided that they could find a babysitter for the kids. Henrietta was already there and Taylor had promised that she and Dan would show up. She'd invited Frank Churchill but he'd declined politely and told her he had other plans that night. She hadn't seen much of him since their day out together, but wasn't overly concerned about it. All the other girls in Sydney were probably fighting it out for the opportunity to monopolise his attentions. And of course, Jake.

"I think we're good," she said honestly. Her hazel eyes darted around the room, wondering if she'd left out anything. But everything seemed to be under control.

"Maybe turn on the TV and see if there's anything we can watch?" she suggested. They kept their television in the living room, of course, but it was positioned at an angle where Emma could view it from the kitchen as well.

Henrietta picked up the remote and began flicking through the channels.

_News... a soccer game... a rerun of The Wonder Years... Oprah..._

"Hey, I've found something!" Henrietta shouted a few moments later. "It's that movie with Julia Roberts."

"Pretty Woman?" Emma asked, perking up slightly. It wasn't one of her favourite movies, but it would certainly do for a distraction.

Henrietta frowned slightly. "No, that's not it..."

Emma glanced up curiously but only saw the beginning of a KFC commercial.

"Erin Brockovich?" she guessed, naming another of Julia Roberts' more famous films.

"No... that's not it, either," Henrietta said with a frown. "It's the one with the wedding... the one where she realises that she's in love with her best friend!"

"Oh! You mean My Best Friend's Wedding," Emma remarked as she opened the oven to check on the garlic bread.

Henrietta nodded in affirmation. "Yes, that's the one. Oh, look, it's back on!"

She turned her attention back to the TV set where Julia Roberts was talking earnestly to her platonic friend George about her love for Michael.

Emma had never believed in those types of lightning-bolt moments where people claimed they'd _just realised _they were in love with someone. Until she experienced one of her own.

It all made sense now. She finally understood why the thought of Jake leaving was so much more upsetting than it should be.

_She had feelings for her best friend. Maybe it wasn't love. But it was definitely something._

**...**

"This all looks wonderful, Emma!" Adele said appreciatively that evening, as her gaze swept over the dinner table. "I can't believe that you made it all yourself – I am very impressed."

Emma smiled slightly at the older woman's praise. When she had first met her father's girlfriend, she had been afraid that she would never be able to treat her cordially, but she had come to grow fond of her. _And besides, _she contemplated wryly, _she had other things to keep her mind occupied these days._

"Oh, yes, dear Emma is a very good cook," Mr Woodhouse acknowledged, looking proudly at his younger daughter. "She does like to cook such rich foods, though – all that cheese in the lasagne cannot be very good for the digestion, my dear."

"Oh, it isn't so bad, Dad," Emma assured her father. "I used low-fat mozzarella for the cheese sauce and I've even made a vegan version for you."

Mr Woodhouse's eyes lit up. "With cashews and savoury yeast?"

"Of course."

Her father smiled happily. "You take such good care of me, Emma."

His daughter's heart warmed at his unexpected praise. She knew that her father loved her dearly, but there were certainly many lonely moments when she felt like he did not _appreciate _her. He seemed to take her good will and kindness towards him as a matter of course.

_Adele was clearly having a positive influence on him_, she thought.

Taylor and Dan were the next guests to arrive.

"Wow, it all looks spectacular!" Taylor added to Adele's praise, as she walked in and handed Emma a bouquet of lilies.

Emma smiled as she buried her face in the flowers. "Oh, Tay, you know you don't have to bring anything when you come over..."

"I know I don't _have _to, I just wanted to," Taylor said with a grin. "Anyway it's just a thank you for cooking all this beautiful food."

Isabella and John were next to walk through the door, Isabella apologising profusely for their lateness.

"It was so hard to find a babysitter!" she said with a sigh. "Especially when all our usual ones are here tonight!"

"Don't listen to Izzy," John said with amusement. "It didn't take _that _long to find someone to baby-sit, but it _did _take another half an hour to tear my dear wife away from E.J."

"What? She's still a baby! She needs her mother," Isabella said defensively.

She turned to her sister and Taylor, hoping to get sympathy from them. "And you should have seen her little chin wobble when John and I tried to kiss her goodbye. The pitiful look in her big blue eyes made me feel like we were abandoning her for life!"

"Oh, that's just her way of guilt-tripping you, sweetie," Taylor soothed. "Trust me, she's probably sound asleep right now and has no idea that she's putting her mummy through so much grief."

"Well, are we all here? Can we eat already?" Dan teased, eyeing the food hungrily.

"No, Jake's not here yet," Taylor scolded, slapping her husband's hand as he sneakily tried to swipe a piece of garlic bread.

"It's not like him to be late," Isabella observed, glancing at the clock. "Did he get delayed?"

Emma flushed. "Well, um, I guess, um..."

No, Jake hadn't said anything about being late tonight or not coming... although perhaps that was why he'd tried to call her earlier. It would be so much easier if he _wasn't _coming, she mused. Then she wouldn't have to think about her strange feelings for him. Maybe if she just ignored them, they would go away...

As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

**...**

"I'm here! How nice of you all to wait for me," Jake said cheerfully as he strode into the dining room.

"Sorry I'm late. Rob Martin was in his front yard and we started talking. He's really quite an interesting guy."

"You talked to Rob?" Henrietta asked eagerly. "How is he, anyway?"

Jake smiled at her. "He's fine. But perhaps you should be talking to him yourself, since he asked how you were doing too."

"Really?" Henrietta said shyly, not bothering to hide the excitement in her tone.

"Really," Jake assured her. He looked at her kindly. "You might want to pay him a visit after we've finished dinner. I think he'd like that."

He stole a glance at Emma, wondering what she thought of his attempt at matchmaking. Admittedly it wasn't much work for him – it wasn't hard to see that Rob and Henrietta were attracted to each other. But he knew Emma had set her sights on finding a match for Henrietta herself.

She didn't even appear to be aware of their conversation, however. She was staring blankly into space, apparently lost in her own thoughts.

"So when are we going to eat already?" Dan asked jovially, and this seemed to jolt Emma out of her daydreaming.

"Oh, we can eat now," she said quickly. "Everything's ready and waiting. You know the drill, guys. Feel free to help yourselves."

**...**

"How's uni going, Em?" Taylor asked, noticing the shadows under Emma's normally lively hazel eyes. She wondered if her friend had been working too hard.

"Oh, it's fine," Emma said with a disinterested shrug. "Exam results don't come out for a few weeks, but I'm pretty sure I've passed everything at least."

Dan whistled softly. "I can't believe how fast time flies. It seems like just yesterday that we were all at your high school graduation," he marvelled. "Another year and a half and we'll be at your _university _graduation."

In hindsight, Emma realised she should have stayed quiet. But it was too late for that.

"Well, _one _person won't be there," she said bitterly, looking meaningfully at Jake.

**...**

Jake almost dropped his fork when Emma made her pronouncement. He recovered quickly but looked at her in surprise.

_Not be at her university graduation? How could she possibly think that he would miss such an important occasion in her life?_

"What do you mean, Em?" he asked in confusion, not sure why she was glaring at him so icily.

Emma shrugged. "Well, it's going to be a bit of a hassle for you to come back for my graduation when you'll be in _London."_

She rose from her seat. "If you guys will excuse me, I've got to go check on dessert." And she left the room.

**...**

The room grew deathly quiet as everyone else froze at this bombshell.

Taylor was the first to speak. "Jake... is this true? Are you really going to London?"

He hadn't wanted to tell everyone in this way, but it looked like Emma had forced his hand. He nodded reluctantly.

"What?" his brother exploded. "Were you planning on telling your family about this, Jacob Knightley?"

Jake hid a wry smile. Even though he was four years John's senior, John somehow had a habit of making him feel like the immature younger brother.

"Of course," he replied. "I didn't realise I'd be doing it tonight, however."

"I see you found time to tell _Emma, _though," John huffed, and Jake knew that his brother wasn't really angry with him for moving to London – he was just annoyed that Jake hadn't told him first.

Fortunately Isabella interceded sweetly on Jake's behalf.

"Honey, he's her best friend," she said kindly, taking her husband's hand. "He had to tell her first."

"Hmmph," John grumbled, but he looked slightly mollified.

"When are you going, dude?" Dan asked cautiously.

Jake hesitated again. "Well, I've been invited to work for Connor Bingley's firm and he's already sorting out a visa for me. He's got some friends in Immigration and he's pulling a few strings to get things moving quickly. Plus he's invited me to come over early and get settled in first. So I'm actually going on vacation to check everything out first. My plane takes off in six days."

**...**

Emma stared at the trifle gloomily. It looked perfect – it didn't need anything extra done to it. She'd just needed an excuse to leave the room.

She'd been ashamed of her sudden outburst. Jake didn't deserve that. She should have apologised straightaway instead of getting embarrassed and hiding in the kitchen. Why hadn't she?

_Why, oh, why, did she always think of the right thing to do... when it was too late?_

**...**

**Author's Note****: Many thanks to Inspired74, Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley, iambbq, violetdelirium, Lady Dudley, ToReadAndWrite, chell01, TheImaginationAddict, Ami4 and SkiCan for sharing your thoughts on the last chapter!**


	21. Of Discussions and Decisions

"Penny for your thoughts, Em," said a cheerful voice, interrupting Emma's morose conversation with herself.

Emma looked up and forced herself to smile wanly. "But we don't _have_ pennies in Australia, Tay."

"Well, five cents, then," Taylor amended as she sat down next to Emma. "Although 'Five cents for your thoughts' doesn't sound _nearly _as good."

Taylor looked closely at Emma and couldn't restrain herself from gasping as she noticed the younger girl's tearstained cheeks and the little pile of crumpled tissues in front of her. Taylor had never seen her normally vivacious friend look so depressed.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked cautiously, putting her arm around Emma. She'd noticed the absence of Frank Churchill that evening and wondered if that was what was bothering her friend. Taylor knew that the two had been hanging together lately but hadn't thought there was anything serious going on between them.

"Jake's going to London," Emma said sadly, her hazel eyes downcast.

Taylor gave her a puzzled look. _Was that all that was bothering Emma? Surely there had to be something more..._

"But it's not forever, Em. He is going to come back eventually," she pointed out logically.

"It won't be the same," Emma whispered quietly. "I know it won't."

"He'll always be your friend," Taylor replied encouragingly, squeezing Emma's shoulder. "That's never going to change."

Emma muttered something under her breath. Although she strained to hear, Taylor couldn't make out what her friend had said.

"Sorry, Em, I'm going deaf in my old age," she said apologetically. "Can you repeat that?"

Emma raised her head slowly. "Maybe I _want _things to change," she said softly.

Taylor stared at her friend, bemused, and then her dark brown eyes suddenly widened in understanding.

"Wait a minute... Do you mean what I _think _you mean?"

Emma turned away from Taylor and buried her head in her hands.

"Oh, my gosh! You like Jake!" Taylor exclaimed in surprise and then clapped her hand quickly over her mouth.

"Louder, Tay – I don't think they heard you in _Mexico!" _Emma hissed, lifting her head and glaring at her friend.

"I'm sorry," Taylor apologised quickly. "I just can't believe it! I mean, Jake's... don't get me wrong, Em... you know I think he's awesome. But he's so much older than you. And he's practically your _brother_!"

"He's my _brother-in-law," _Emma corrected quickly, her brow furrowing. "And he's 12 years older than me... which isn't _that _old."

"Also don't forget that he's moving to London," Taylor pointed out helpfully.

"Hinc illae lacrimae," Emma said woodenly.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "And for those of us who didn't take Latin in high school..."

"Hence these tears."

Taylor shook her head in disbelief. It looked like her hubby had been right after all. She would never have suspected it, but obviously there _was _some chemistry between Emma and Jake. At least on Emma's part.

And now that she thought about it, she'd been pretty silly not to realise.

"What are you going to do, sweetie?" she asked gently. "I mean, he's leaving in six days..."

"I _know," _Emma muttered, her eyes not meeting Taylor's. "And it's the opportunity of a lifetime for him. I _can't _do anything which might jeopardise it for him."

"Well, you should tell him how you feel, Em," Taylor encouraged. "And then even if he doesn't feel the same way, at least you'll know that you've tried. Plus you won't have time to get awkward around each other because he'll be leaving the country in less than a week."

Emma paused as though she was considering the idea and then shook her head quickly. "I _can't, _Tay," she said with a grimace. "Even the very thought of doing that is making my stomach queasy. Nope, I'm just going to have to let him go without saying anything. If we're meant to be, we'll end up together somehow. And now if you'll excuse me, I've got to bring dessert out."

Taylor sighed as she watched her friend carefully pick up the trifle and make her way back to her guests. _If only there was something that she could do to help..._

And then she smiled. Maybe there _was _something that she could do.

**Author's Note: **_I'm back!____If you're still reading this story, thank you so much for your patience. Real life just keeps getting busier, but now that I've got this chapter out (short as it is), I hope to return to regular-ish updates. _

_This chapter is dedicated to iambbq, who continuously inspires me to keep writing. Thanks for all of your encouragement. =) _

_And thank you also to The Starry Puzzle, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, Lady Dudley, TheImaginationAddict, SkiCan, ZeMonstarrOfSquishy, Mira, millernumber1, PandaWong, and Me – of course for your lovely reviews. This story continues because of readers like you! _

_For those who follow my other Austen stories, I have started writing the next chapters of The Importance of First Impressions and A Christmas Medley. Hopefully will be able to update those soon!_


	22. Of Uncertainty and Upsets

"Oh, Emma, it's so lovely to see you again!" Miss Bates exclaimed happily. "It's been far too long, my dear. Why, I was just telling Mr Knightley the other day..."

Emma knew from experience that if she let Miss Bates begin a story, she could be stuck there for a very long time. And since she only had an hour off for lunch, she didn't have time to waste.

"I'm sorry, Miss Bates, but I was just wondering if Jake was in," she hastily interrupted. "I was hoping to take him to lunch."

"Oh, dear, I'm afraid he's already gone out to lunch..." Miss Bates said sympathetically. "He and my niece Jenna left about fifteen minutes ago."

"OK, I guess I'll catch up with him later," Emma replied absently. She was about to leave when she suddenly registered Miss Bates' words.

"You mean Jake went out to lunch with your _niece?"_

"Oh, yes," Miss Bates prattled happily. "He's such a considerate young man. Jenna doesn't really know anyone in Sydney, you see, except for me, of course, but I don't really go out very often. So Mr Knightley has been taking her around and introducing her to the sights..."

She winked at Emma. "And it might be a bit forward of me, dear," she murmured. "But I imagine I see a hint of chemistry between those two. And why not? Mr Knightley's younger brother is already a family man with those three lovely children. It's obvious that Mr Knightley is longing for something similar... Men start wanting to settle down around this age."

She glanced closely at Emma and raised her eyebrows in alarm. "Are you not feeling well, Emma? You've gone pale!"

"Oh, yes, I'm quite alright, Miss Bates," Emma muttered distractedly. "But I need to get going. Don't tell Ja... don't tell Mr Knightley that I stopped by. We can always have lunch another day."

It took a surprising amount of effort for Emma to maintain a dignified composure as she exited Jake's office and slowly walked back to uni.

Emma had felt as though Jake had been a little bit distant lately and now she realised why. While she had been wondering how he felt about Caroline Bingley and Elizabeth Bennett, he had been secretly dating Jenna Fairfax!

"Stupid, stupid Emma," she berated herself. "How could you have thought that he might possibly be interested in _you?"_

For she had almost convinced herself that maybe it wasn't all that farfetched that Jake might have feelings for her too.

She had spent last night reflecting on their friendship, wondering if there could be something more between them. And suddenly she'd remembered all those times she'd caught him watching her, with tender affection in his green eyes. She'd reminisced about how overprotective he became when guys approached her and how he comforted her when she was sad. She'd thought of the beautiful hand-carved jewellery box that he'd made for her sixteenth birthday and reasoned that she must mean something to him, for him to have made the effort.

But _obviously _she was wrong.

Maybe he really did just think of her as a little sister.

_At least she hadn't told him how she felt, _she thought, breathing a sigh of relief. _That was something to be thankful for._

She squared her shoulders resolutely as she reached the uni campus and silently vowed that she would never think of Jake Knightley as being anything more than a friend again.

**...**

"Thank you so much for babysitting for us tonight, Tay," Isabella said gratefully as she handed the baby to her friend.

"Hey, I'm always happy to look after this little one," Taylor replied softly as she accepted the sleeping E.J into her arms.

"Jake should be coming by to pick up the boys in another twenty minutes or so," Isabella continued. "He's promised to take them to the movies."

She glanced anxiously at the clock. "I probably should get going now, though. Are you going to be OK with all three of them for a while?"

"No worries," Taylor said breezily. "You go ahead. Hope you and John enjoy your date night."

"Oh, we will," Isabella said with a smile. "Thanks again, Tay!"

She planted a gentle kiss on her daughter's cheek, blew quick kisses to the boys who were engrossed in an episode of The Smurfs, and then left.

Taylor gave E.J a kiss as well and then gently placed the sleeping baby in her crib. As usual, she felt the pull on her maternal heartstrings and she smiled tenderly. She and Dan had started trying for a baby recently and she was so looking forward to having a child of her own.

She wasn't left alone with the kids for long. Jake showed up a mere ten minutes later, carrying a container of microwave popcorn, a bag of mini Twix bars and a giant bottle of lemonade.

"They do sell food at the cinemas too, you know," Taylor teased, her brown eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Yeah – at extortionist prices," Jake replied cheerfully. "Whereas I got this all at Woollies for a fraction of the cost. Are the boys ready to go?"

"No!" Henry called, hearing his uncle's voice. "We're still watching The Smurfs."

Taylor smiled to herself. She couldn't have created a more perfect opportunity for a one-on-one conversation with Jake.

"So, five more days until London," she remarked casually. "Are you all set to go?"

"I'm all packed, yeah," Jake nodded. "I won't need to take that much, really. The place I'll be living in is fully furnished and I guess I can buy some new clothes over there too."

"And you've sorted out any unfinished business you might have?"

Jake looked surprised. "What unfinished business?"

"Oh, I'm just speaking metaphorically," Taylor answered vaguely. "You know, I'm sure I've read somewhere that when you move to a foreign country, you've got to make sure that you leave without any regrets."

Jake appeared slightly wary now. "I'm still not following you," he said cautiously.

Inwardly, Taylor sighed. Would she just have to come right out and say it?

"Well, you know, like the final episode of Friends where Rachel's meant to be moving to Paris and Ross needs to tell he loves her but nearly doesn't get to because he left it right to the last moment?"

If possible, Jake looked even more bewildered. "Tay... you haven't been drinking or anything, have you? I can stay here with the kids if you want to go home..."

"No, of course not!" Taylor exclaimed. "Oh, forget it. Go to the movies. Looks like The Smurfs is over, anyway," she added as Henry and Jacob raced in.

"Uncle Jake – you brought chocolate!" Jacob squealed, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the Twix.

"Sure did," Jake grinned as he handed his younger nephew the bag. "You can hold the chocolate, but wait until we get to the movies so that we can all have some, OK?"

He waved at Taylor. "See you later, Tay."

Taylor frowned slightly as the front door shut behind Jake. _Well, that hadn't exactly gone how she'd planned._

**...**

"We can work this out, Jenna," he pleaded, taking hold of her hand.

She pulled her hand away. "How, Frank?" she asked tiredly. "Your mother's made it clear that she'll disown you if you keep on seeing me. No, it's better this way. Trust me."

"How can it be better if you're not in my life?" he pressed.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be," Jenna commanded, turning away so that Frank wouldn't see her tears. She blinked them back quickly and swallowed hard.

It had taken so much courage for her to meet up with him tonight. And now that she was actually with him... well, it was making her decision harder than ever.

"I don't care about being disowned! All I care about is _you!" _he swore. "Please, Jenna, just give us a chance. My mother will come around eventually..."

Jenna shook her head tiredly. If she thought that there was a chance that Alannah Churchill would ever accept her, she would be prepared to stick this out. But she knew that would never happen.

Just as she knew that Frank Churchill wouldn't give up on her. Unless _he _believed that there was no hope.

She inhaled deeply, knowing that she was about to break the heart of the only man she'd ever truly loved.

"Your mother isn't the only problem, Frank. I've just been using her as an excuse but I can't hide the truth anymore."

"What do you mean?" he asked in surprise. Then his eyes narrowed. "Is there someone else in the picture?"

_It was too late to back out now_, she convinced herself.

"Yes," she said boldly. "I can't marry you because I'm in love with Jake Knightley."

**...**

_**Author's Note: Bet you weren't expecting a new chapter quite so soon! ;)**_

_**Thanks to all the lovely inspirational reviewers – TheImaginationAddict, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, RhiannonAmidala, iambbq, cartasdeamor and millernumber1. **_

_**I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter – review and let me know! =)**_


	23. Of Maybes and Mothers

"Whose idea was it to have Jake's farewell party at our house, anyway?" Isabella moaned as she bent down to pick up a wailing Jacob. He had been playing Tips with his brother in the garden and somehow had managed to fall down and graze his knee.

"Yours, I think, darling," John said cheekily as he entered the kitchen, carrying an armful of groceries which he dumped unceremoniously on the kitchen counter.

His wife shot him a murderous look, but there was a twinkle in her eyes.

"And for _that _attitude, you can unpack the groceries while I get your son's knee fixed up, mister," she teased.

Her husband saluted her. "Yes, ma'am!"

Izzy giggled as she turned her attention towards Jacob.

"OK, Jacob, show me where the owie is," she coaxed gently.

Her son pointed to a miniscule scrape on his knee and continued to wail loudly.

"Is it bad?" John asked, looking slightly worried.

Isabella laughed and shook her head. "It's the kiddie equivalent of man flu," she assured him.

"OK, don't cry, honey. Mummy's fixing the owie. Look, I've got a dinosaur Band-Aid for you!"

Jacob stopped crying as he looked at the Band-Aid with interest. His mother cleaned his scrape and gently put the plaster over it.

"There you go! You have a pterodactyl on your knee now. Look at that! I bet your brother would like to see it," Isabella said cheerily.

Wide-eyed, Jacob reached out to touch the Band-Aid, but his mother quickly stopped him.

"No, sweetie, don't touch the dinosaur. He needs to stay there, so that he can help heal your knee."

Jacob struggled to his chubby legs and then ran to the living room, proudly proclaiming, "Henry! I got a dei-do-saur on my knee!"

Izzy watched her son go with a smile. "I wish a dinosaur Band-Aid could solve everybody's problems," she mused.

"I'll write a letter to Parliament and suggest it," her husband agreed solemnly. They looked at one another and burst into simultaneous laughter.

In moments like these, Isabella Knightley knew that she wouldn't trade her family for _anything._

**...**

It felt like the longest three minutes of Taylor Weston's life.

"Come on, come on, come on," she whispered anxiously, glancing at the timer. It seemed to be taking forever.

"Relax, Tay," her husband soothed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Just a bit longer."

_Ding!_

The little timer went off and Taylor jumped slightly. She turned, pale-faced, towards Dan.

"You look," she whispered. "I can't."

He squeezed her shoulder again.

"Look, whatever the result is, it's OK, sweetie," he said reassuringly. "No matter what, I still love you. I will _always _love you."

"I love you too," she breathed as they shared a lingering kiss.

Then she quickly pushed him away. "OK, please look! The suspense is killing me!"

She thought she saw her husband swallow nervously as he reached for the little stick which could potentially change their lives forever.

"Well?" she croaked, almost unable to breathe, when Dan didn't say anything immediately.

Her husband turned slowly towards her. "We're not pregnant, Tay."

Her face fell. Even though she'd told herself not to get her hopes up, she'd been excited anyway.

Her cycle was generally fairly consistent but it wasn't this month.

She'd eagerly shared that information with Dan, who had immediately driven to the nearest pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test.

She'd started thinking about baby names and decorating a baby's room and telling Izzy to host a baby shower.

But they weren't pregnant.

"Not this time, but maybe next time," her husband encouraged, tenderly kissing her forehead.

Taylor nodded, determined not to let this news (or rather, non-news) spoil their day. And hey, compared to where they'd been not that long ago, it was amazing that they'd reached the stage of agreeing to have a baby, anyway.

"You're right, sweetie. Maybe next time," she agreed, as she wrapped her arms around him.

They were young. Their time would come.

**...**

Blythe Knightley eyed her beef stew thoughtfully. It was her husband Peter's favourite dish and she was hoping to have it ready for his lunch by the time he got home.

"Needs more salt," she concluded out loud after an experimental taste. She quickly added a little more and began stirring again.

The doorbell rang and she started in surprise. She wasn't expecting anyone over that morning.

She left the stew to simmer and hurried to the door.

Her face lit up when she saw her older son standing there.

"Jake!" Blythe exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting to see you before your farewell party tonight."

Her son grinned and shrugged. "Well, I just thought I'd come see you and Dad first. I know there'll probably be a lot of people who I need to catch up with tonight and I might not get to see much of you later..."

Blythe beamed at her older son. He was so thoughtful.

"Well, I think your dad's gone over to John and Izzy's," she apologised. "But I'm very happy that you've come over. I still can't believe my boy is moving to London!"

"It's not _that _big a deal,Mum," Jake chuckled as his mother wrapped her arms around him. "I'll come back for visits all the time. And you and Dad can come visit me over there too."

"I know, honey, but it won't be quite the same as being able to see you whenever we want," his mother pointed out. "But we know it's a great opportunity and we're very proud of you."

"Thanks, Mum," Jake replied. "I _will _miss having you nearby... and your biscuits too!"

Blythe chuckled as Jake made his way straight towards the owl-shaped biscuit jar on the counter, where she kept her home-baked treats. _Some things never changed._

"So, tomorrow's the big day," she commented. "Are you all packed and ready?"

"More or less," Jake assented as he bit into a ginger snap. "I've found a couple to lease my place while I'm gone and they're willing to pay the price for fully furnished, which is great."

"And what about the firm?" Blythe inquired. "Do you have someone you trust who can look after things in your absence?"

"Dan will assume partnership duties in the meantime," Jake replied. "And it's not like he'll have to do it alone, anyway – the other partner, Adam Craig, will be around."

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out," Blythe said with a smile, as she resumed stirring her stew.

"In _that _department, anyway," Jake muttered under his breath, just loud enough for his mother to hear.

She smiled knowingly. "What's wrong, honey? Woman troubles?"

Jake didn't have to say anything. His sheepish expression said it all.

"What's wrong? You can talk to me about it, you know."

When Jake hesitated, she groaned. "Jake, I'm cheaper than a therapist and I make better biscuits."

He grinned wryly as he bit into a sugar cookie. "Well, I can't argue with you there."

Blythe looked at her son's anxious green eyes and decided to take the bull by the horns.

"It's Emma, isn't it?"

_**Author's Note**_: _**Happy New Year! I hope that 2013 has gotten off to a wonderful start for all of you. **_

_**Again, this chapter is dedicated to iambbq – who consistently encourages me to write and who inspired me to write this chapter today! Thank you!**_

_**Thanks also to my other reviewers – cartasdeamor, millernumber1, Ami4, TheImaginationAddict, RhiannonAmidala, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, toffeema, daisyxduck, SkiCan, OzarkMaid and Anonumomyus for your feedback. **_

_**To you and to anyone else reading – thank you for your patience and I hope to hear what you thought of this chapter!**_


	24. Of Home and History

"I've always been intimidated by macarons," Emma confessed. "I tried making them once before and the shells cracked. I never tried making them again... until now, anyway."

"You need to make sure they have enough time to dry," Adele explained. "It took me a few times to get used to making them too. And now I'm addicted. I've got to make a batch at least once a month."

She bit into a salted caramel macaron and grinned. "Don't you want one, Emma? I can't eat all of these by myself and we both know your father won't want any."

Emma laughed as she helped herself to a particularly tasty looking chocolate macaron.

A few weeks ago, she would never have _dreamed _that her father would have a girlfriend, let alone that she would enjoy spending time with her. But after Jake had convinced her to give Adele the benefit of the doubt and get to know her, she had discovered that she really liked the older woman's company.

"Looks like you two are having a good time," Henry Woodhouse remarked, as he entered the kitchen and beamed at both of them.

He put his arm around Adele's shoulders and kissed her affectionately on the cheek.

Emma smiled to herself. The effect that Adele had on her father was quite extraordinary too.

For the first time in years, Henry Woodhouse was peaceful and happy and it showed.

His eyes no longer held a haunted expression. He didn't spend all of his evenings at home in his armchair. He was too busy taking swing dance lessons, learning how to play golf and taking a computer literacy course.

"Adele's showing me how to make macarons," Emma explained. She gestured towards the two trays on the kitchen table. "Would you like one?"

Her father looked doubtful. "Oh, Emma, you know that my constitution can't handle too much sugar. Dr Perry says..."

As Henry droned on, Emma caught Adele's eye and the older woman winked at her.

Emma winked back and felt a profound sense of relief. She was grateful to Adele for the happiness that she brought her father and also for the new experiences she had introduced him to.

But she was secretly pleased that her father had turned down the macaron.

There was enough change going on in her life already. It was nice to know that there were _some _things which would always remain constant.

**...**

Jenna Fairfax groaned quietly when her phone began to ring. She didn't even have to look at the caller ID. She knew who was at the other end.

_Frank._

"Aren't you going to answer your phone, dear?" Miss Bates asked her niece curiously.

Jenna breathed a quiet sigh of relief when it stopped ringing.

"Oh, it's probably not that important," she fibbed, not looking up from her book. "They can always leave a message on my voicemail, anyway."

As if on cue, her phone immediately began ringing again.

Miss Bates looked slightly sceptical. "It sounds like it might be important, dear. Perhaps you should get it."

"Look, Aunt Kathy, it's _my _phone and if I don't feel like talking on it, I won't!" Jenna barked, her harsh tone surprising even herself.

Her aunt looked stricken and Jenna immediately felt a pang of guilt.

"Of course you're right, dear," Miss Bates said nervously. "It's your phone and you should know when you want to answer it, without me telling you what to do. Uh, won't you excuse me? I have some washing to get done and if I don't do it now, it'll still be waiting for me tomorrow..."

She flittered off, but not before Jenna saw the hurt expression in her aunt's eyes and felt as though she'd just kicked a lost puppy.

Jenna gave up any pretence of reading and put her book down. She picked her phone up and bit her lip.

Nine texts, five missed calls, three voicemail messages.

Frank definitely wasn't giving up easily.

"How can he not see that I'm doing this for _his _sake?" she cried in frustration, determinedly turning her phone off.

Law school at USyd was expensive. Frank was fortunate – his wealthy parents were paying his way. But only as long as he played by their rules.

Frank's mother Alannah Churchill came from one of the richest families in Sydney. She fit all the stereotypes perfectly – tall, slender, aristocratic, elegant... and a complete snob.

Frank had grown up with all the privileges that money could buy – education at Sydney's finest private schools, language tuition, a one-on-one tennis coach, a beautiful mansion in Double Bay and a beach house in Port Stephens.

Alannah Churchill had high hopes for her handsome only son. Not only would he become a wealthy and successful lawyer (or doctor), but he would marry into another elite and equally privileged family.

Of course her hopes were unexpectedly dashed when Frank fell in love with Jenna Fairfax – the illegitimate child whose father had abandoned her at birth.

It didn't matter that Jenna would be a successful pianist one day and make a name for herself.

She didn't have the blue blood, breeding or background that Alannah considered mandatory for a potential daughter-in-law. That was why Alannah had done everything in her power to drive Jenna away. And now she'd finally succeeded.

_Until she'd met Alannah_, Jenna mused unhappily, _she'd thought this kind of thing only happened in Jane Austen novels._

**...**

Blythe wasn't prepared for her son's reaction to her question.

Jake's face immediately reddened. He choked on the sugar cookie he was munching and began coughing violently.

Knowing that he was alright as long as he was coughing, she patiently patted his back as he spluttered. She got a glass of water ready for him, and when his coughing fit was over, he downed it gratefully.

Blythe didn't even need an answer anymore. It was written all over Jake's face.

But she waited patiently for him to talk to her, anyway. A mother always does.

It was a few minutes before he was finally able to speak.

"You _know?"_

Blythe smiled at her son's incredulous tone. Did he really think that he'd kept it a secret all these years?

"Oh, honey. I've always known."

He stared at her in disbelief. "Does Dad know too?"

Blythe turned back towards her stew, so that Jake couldn't see the twinkle in her eyes.

She did her best to keep her voice solemn as she replied, "I wouldn't be surprised if he did."

She could never tell Jake about one particular conversation she'd had with Peter...

**...**

_Three years earlier..._

"Are you sure I look OK?" Emma asked nervously as she fiddled with the straps of her dress.

It was the night of her Year 12 formal and Blythe had volunteered to help her get ready for the big occasion. Now the two of them were in Blythe and Peter's bedroom.

"You look lovely, Emma," she said sincerely, planting a kiss on the younger girl's head. "Jake will have to work extra hard to keep all the boys away from you tonight."

Emma giggled.

Blythe stepped back and looked at Emma with a critical eye. "I think you're just missing one thing..."

She rifled through her jewellery box until she found what she was looking for.

"Aha!" she cried triumphantly as she pulled out the object of her search.

Emma gasped as Blythe held up a fine gold chain with a teardrop shaped diamond pendant.

"Is that real?" she exclaimed in awe.

"Oh, yes," Blythe said with a smile. "Believe it or not, it belonged to _my _mother. She gave it to me on my wedding day. And I think it's just what you need to complete your outfit tonight."

Emma's hazel eyes widened and she shook her head frantically. "Oh, it's beautiful! But I can't wear it! What if I lose it?"

"Well, if it goes missing, I know where you live, young lady," Blythe teased.

But seeing the concerned look in the young teenager's eyes, she hastily reassured her.

"Don't tell the boys, but I always hoped Peter and I would have a daughter someday," she said softly. "I think you're the closest thing I have to that, and I'd be so happy if you would wear this necklace tonight."

Emma's face glowed. "But what about Izzy?" she questioned. "She's your daughter-in-law!"

"I love Izzy too, sweetie, but I've known you from the day you were born," Blythe said softly. "Come here."

Emma obediently bent her head as Blythe fastened the clasp on the pendant around her neck.

She stood back again and this time, her eyes misted over. The girl she had always considered to be the daughter she never had was growing up before her eyes.

"Emma, are you ready to go?" Jake shouted; a note of impatience in his tone. "We have to leave _now!"_

"She's ready. We'll be down in a minute!" Blythe responded.

"Well, it's about time. What have you been doing..."

Jake's voice trailed off and he stared unabashedly at the willowy blonde beauty walking gracefully down the stairs.

"Wow," he said quietly and only Blythe could hear the sudden tremor in her son's voice.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you were speechless, Jake Knightley," Isabella teased.

She was heavily pregnant with her second child and Mr Woodhouse had given her strict instructions to stay off her feet that evening, but Izzy had insisted on seeing her younger sister before she headed off to her formal.

"Doesn't Auntie Emma look pretty, Henry?" she cooed to the toddler playing at her feet.

The two-year-old looked up from his blocks and smiled, showing off his baby teeth. "Pretty," he repeated, mimicking his mother.

"OK, I need a photo of you two... or maybe six," Blythe said in a businesslike manner as she produced a camera.

"Ooh, me too!" Izzy said enthusiastically. "I promised to take some for Taylor."

The couple dutifully posed for the photos (it ended up being something more like _ten), _and finally they were on their way.

"I think I need to put Henry to bed," Izzy murmured, looking at the clock. "You've still got that cot set up for him, haven't you?"

"Of course," Blythe said. "Why don't you let me take him, Izzy? You sit down and have a rest."

Isabella smiled warmly at her. "You know, I've never understood why Hollywood makes such a big deal about mother-in-laws. I think they're pretty awesome, myself."

"I love you too," Blythe shot back. She gladly picked up her grandson and whisked him off to the cot she had set up in their guest room a few weeks ago.

It wasn't long before little Henry was in dreamland and Blythe was watching him sleep.

Peter came into the room beside her and took her hand as they watched their grandson sleep.

"Emma looked beautiful, didn't she?" Blythe commented. "She's grown up into such a lovely young woman."

"That she has," Peter nodded. "And it looks like Jake's realised too."

Blythe grinned. "You noticed that?"

Amusement danced in her husband's eyes. "I'm not completely clueless, hon. The way he was looking at her tonight... that was how I felt when I fell in love with you."

**...**

"Mum? Mum!"

Blythe quickly bounced back into the present. "Sorry, sweetie. What were you saying?"

"What should I do?" Jake asked, frustration plain in his voice. "I'm moving to London and I don't know how long it's going to be for. She's so special, Mum. What if she meets someone while I'm gone?"

"Well, there's only one thing you _can _do," Blythe observed.

"What, Mum?"

"Tell her how you feel."

**...**

_**Author's Note: Thank you so much to cartasdeamor, TheImaginationAddict, iambbq, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, RhiannonAmidala, millernumber1, toffeema, Amc1, Nell19 and rdemon for reviewing the last chapter. Stay tuned for the next one – it's going to be exciting!**_


	25. Of Friendship and Frank

"Good morning!" Taylor said cheerily as Frank shuffled into the kitchen. "What do you want for breakfast? Dan and I are having blueberry pancakes but I can whip up something up savoury if you'd prefer..."

"I'm not hungry," Frank muttered dully, as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

Taylor eyed him in concern.

Frank looked _terrible. _He had dark circles under his eyes and looked as though he hadn't slept in days. His hair appeared greasy and uncombed and he was wearing a ripped T-shirt and trackies – a far cry from the clean-cut look he'd sported when he'd first come to stay with them.

"Is everything alright...?" she started to ask, but it was too late. Frank had already grabbed his coffee and headed for the refuge of his room.

Taylor was left staring after him and wondering what was wrong.

"Morning, Tay," Daniel said with a smile as he entered the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?"

He peered over her shoulder and his eyes lit up. "Blueberry pancakes? Mmm!"

Taylor smiled. "Give me a couple more minutes and I'll have a stack ready for you."

After they had both finished a pancake each, Taylor finally brought up what was on her mind.

"Honey, have you noticed that something seems to be bothering Frank?"

"Not really," Dan said with a shrug. "I've hardly seen him lately, actually – but I just figured he must have a pretty active social life. You know how popular he is with the girls."

Taylor laughed. "I don't think so... not unless the girls he's hanging around like guys with unwashed hair and dark circles under their eyes!"

"Well, not everyone can be as good-looking and hygienic as me," Daniel teased as he devoured a second pancake.

"Modest too," Taylor said playfully.

Her husband nodded, keeping his countenance solemn. "Of course. That goes without saying."

"But seriously," Taylor persisted. "He just came in for coffee and he looked _awful. _Something's wrong – I just wish I knew what it was. Somehow I don't think he'd feel comfortable spilling his guts to me, though. Now if only he had a close male relative... perhaps someone living in the same house, even... who could talk to him and find out what was wrong..."

Daniel was already shaking his head. "No way, Taylor. He won't talk about anything serious with me. We just don't have that kind of relationship. You know who he probably would talk to, though?"

"I should've thought of that earlier," Taylor sighed. "I'll call right away."

She pulled out her phone and quickly dialled a familiar number.

"Hello, Emma?"

**...**

"I just don't understand!" Henrietta wailed in confusion. "I really thought Rob Martin _liked _me, but he told me he couldn't go out with me after all, because he likes another girl!"

Emma frowned, trying to make sense of her friend's story. "But aren't _you _dating that guy online?"

Henrietta's cheeks reddened. "Well, no, not exactly – I mean, he's very charming and intelligent but it's not like we've met in person or anything. And I was going to stop writing to him if something happened between me and Rob."

Her face crumpled. "And I guess that's not going to happen anymore. Why does this always happen to me? Why am I such a loser?"

"You're not a loser," Emma soothed, patting the distraught girl on the back. "The right guy for you will come along, you'll see. Just be patient!"

"I wish I was like you," Henrietta sniffed, accepting the box of tissues that Emma silently handed her. "You never seem to get worried about guys! And you're so happy being single. Why can't I be like you?"

Henrietta blew her nose noisily and Emma took advantage of the moment to turn away and busy herself with rearranging the flowers on the coffee table.

What would Henrietta think of her if she knew that Emma had stayed up until 3am that morning, hugging her childhood teddy bear and staring at a photo of Jake? She would lose her reputation as a happy single; that was for sure.

She had avoided him successfully for the past few days but seeing him would be inevitable tonight.

It was his farewell party, after all. How she wished that she didn't have to attend.

Her phone suddenly rang, interrupting Henrietta's monologue. She dove for it quickly, thankful for the interruption to her melancholy thoughts.

"Hey, Taylor!"

She listened for a moment and her brow furrowed. "OK. I'll be there as soon as I can."

**...**

"Apples," Izzy groaned. "We bought flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon... everything we need to bake apple pie... except the apples."

"Do we need to have apple pie?" John asked plaintively. "You could make cheesecake... or trifle... or just serve up some ice-cream! Ice-cream always works at a party."

"But it's Jake's farewell party," Izzy reminded her husband. "And you know how much he loves my apple pie. It's his last chance to have some before he goes to London. I have to make it tonight!"

"You could make it while he's in London and I could eat it for him," John suggested, not overly anxious to get up from his comfortable seat on the couch, where he was trying to watch TV.

His wife fixed with him a glare. "Jonathan Philip Knightley..."

John sighed. "OK, I know you're pulling out the big guns when you use my full name."

He reluctantly got to his feet. "Henry! Jacob! We have to pick up some apples at the shops while Mummy waits for EJ to wake up!"

Izzy smiled in triumph. "Who says husbands can't be trained?"

**...**

"Emma to the rescue!" Emma sang. "Where is my patient?"

"Thanks for coming, Em," Taylor said gratefully, giving her friend a huge hug. "He's in his room. Except for this morning, when he needed coffee, he's been in there all day."

"He might not even talk to me, you know," Emma pointed out. "I do have some delicious macarons which might entice him to talk, though." She held up a plastic container and rattled it temptingly.

"They look great!" Taylor marvelled. "I've never even tried to make macarons – they intimidate me too much."

"Adele taught me," Emma explained. "We can do a lesson sometime if you like."

Taylor grinned. "Thanks, but no thanks – I'll take the easy way out and buy them at Zumbo's instead."

"Your choice," Emma said with a shrug. "Anyway, wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" Taylor whispered. "Although I _am _sure he will open up to you. I know he thinks pretty highly of you."

"We'll see," Emma said with a smile.

She knocked gently on the door. "Frank? Can I come in?"

Emma assumed that the muffled grunt meant yes. She gingerly opened the door and poked her head in.

Taylor hadn't been kidding. Frank did look awful.

He smiled faintly at her. "Hi, Emma. What's up?"

"OK, I've got some salted caramel macarons here which will blow your mind," she announced, holding up the plastic container once again. "But you'll only get to try them if you explain to me _exactly _what's going on. You do realise Taylor and Dan are worried about you, right?"

Frank grimaced. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Emma sat down on Frank's swivelly desk chair and looked at him expectantly.

Seeing no way of escape, he sighed, and began, "Well, it all started last February..."

**...**

_**Author's Note: Aren't I nice? I actually gave you a chapter which doesn't end on a cliffhanger... for once! Although I guess I am taking my time on getting to that farewell party scene between Emma and Jake... Remember, all good things come to those who wait...**_

_**Thank you so very much to cartasdeamor, iambbq, Ami4, RhiannonAmidala, TheImaginationAddict, Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley, cutelilmochi, BaliK, toffeema, .viola, EaF and MySarcasticGreenCrayon for your feedback! I love hearing your thoughts and words of encouragement. Keep 'em coming!**_


	26. Of Jealousy and Jake

"Uncle Jake!" Henry yelled eagerly as soon as his favourite uncle walked through the front door.

Jake grinned as he picked up the excited five-year-old and gave him a quick hug.

He loved the warm welcome that he always received from his nephews. It was something that he was really going to miss when he went to London – not only the time that he was able to spend them, but being able to watch them grow up.

He still remembered the first time he'd met Henry as a wrinkly red-faced newborn and found it hard to believe that his oldest nephew was now a lively five-year-old... and that Jacob and EJ had joined the Knightley family since then. Time really did fly.

"Jake!" Izzy exclaimed in surprise as she emerged from the kitchen. "What are you doing here so early? The party doesn't start until six! Unless..."

Her eyes darted anxiously towards the clock and she breathed an audible sigh of relief when she saw the time.

"Sorry," Jake apologised quickly, seeing the flustered expression on his sister-in-law's face. "Well, I was hoping to see Emma. I thought she'd be helping you get ready?"

But a hasty glance at the Knightley kitchen revealed that Emma certainly was not there.

Jake felt a slight flutter of anxiety weave through him. Emma _always _came over early to help her sister whenever there was a special occasion. Was she sick? Was she hurt? Or – his stomach did a nervous flip at the thought – was she deliberately avoiding him?

They had only seen each other once since that fateful dinner party at the Woodhouse home.

Emma had apologised for telling everyone about his London move before he'd had the opportunity to break the news and he had accepted her apology. Yet things didn't seem to be the same as they had been before that day.

Their interaction was slightly stilted and formal, unlike their usual easy camaraderie, and Emma seemed to be extremely uncomfortable around him. Jake had tried his best to coax her out of her uneasy state – cracking silly jokes, reminiscing about past memories and even inviting her to visit him in London – but to no avail.

He had tried to get together with her over the past few days, knowing that precious time was running out and that if he were to tell her how he truly felt about her, it needed to be _soon. _But she always seemed to have an excuse for why it wasn't convenient to meet up right then.

Jake had been _sure _that she would turn up early to Izzy's to help out with preparations for the farewell party. It was the perfect opportunity to catch some alone time with Emma and finally reveal the secrets of his heart.

But then again... perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.

"Well, she was meant to be here an hour ago but she called and said she needed to go see Frank," Izzy said absentmindedly, already turning back to her kitchen.

Jake frowned. "Frank? She went to go see Frank _Churchill?"_

"She didn't actually mention a last name, but I assume so. He's the only Frank I know," Izzy said with a laugh.

_It was like Lucas Elton all over again, _Jake thought ruefully, doing his best to squelch the wave of jealousy surging up.

Only he had the feeling that Frank Churchill was a much stronger competitor for Emma's affections than Lucas Elton ever could be.

While Emma and Lucas had always gotten along well enough, they had been acquaintances more than anything else. It wasn't until Lucas had developed a crush on Emma that he had made a conscious effort to spend more time with her. And as for Emma's part, Jake now knew that she had only ever been interested in making a match between Lucas and her friend Henrietta.

Frank Churchill, on the other hand, was a different story. He hadn't been in Sydney that long, but he and Emma had grown close very quickly.

Jake wasn't blind. Frank Churchill was an extremely attractive guy and if Taylor and Dan's reports were anything to go by, he could have his pick of most of Sydney Uni's female population. But while he was friendly and approachable to all girls, he had tactfully declined all dates and didn't spend alone time with any of them. Except Emma.

"So are you going to take her place as my kitchenhand or what?" his sister-in-law teased, holding out a pink ruffled apron.

Jake forced a smile as he accepted the apron, tying it around his waist.

"Just tell me what to do, chef," he said wryly, fervently hoping that keeping busy in Izzy's kitchen would distract him from the emotional turmoil in his heart.

**...**

_**Author's Note: I've started writing a scene from Emma's point of view, but thought that I'd save it for the next chapter. It's my birthday this week and I'll be going on holiday – hopefully that means I'll have some time to catch up on writing!**_

_**Many thanks to all those who read and reviewed the last chapter – iambbq, TheImaginationAddict, RhiannonAmidala, Ami4, toffeema, ilovecherries123, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley and EaF! **_

_**In answer to your question, EaF – I'm actually not sure how many chapters this story is going to be. It's already longer than I had originally planned and we're not even at the most exciting parts yet! I would say probably less than ten to go... but who knows what will happen? **_

_**No plans for any more teasers for the future – I think that one from the first chapter is enough to keep everyone's appetite whetted. There will be more flashbacks, though, if anyone's interested in seeing more of Emma and Jake's past.**_

_**Until the next chapter! xo**_

**...**


	27. Of Envy and Emma

"I can't believe it," Emma breathed, her hazel eyes widening. "You were dating _Jenna Fairfax?"_

"Is it that hard to believe?" Frank wondered out loud.

With great difficulty, Emma restrained herself from blurting out a loud "Yes!"

Jenna Fairfax was elegant, cool and reserved – _hardly _the type of girl she could picture with the sunny, easygoing Frank.

_But then opposites supposedly did attract..._

"We were pretty serious," Frank confessed, obviously relieved to finally have someone to confide in. "We'd even talked about getting married after graduation."

"So what happened? Why did you break up?" Emma asked curiously.

An expression of pain flittered across Frank's face.

"Sorry," Emma hastily apologised, wondering if she'd put her foot in her mouth. "I don't mean to be nosy. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Oh, it's no secret," Frank sighed. "I'm sure you would have found out soon enough, anyway, since you and Jake are such good friends."

Emma froze.

"What... what do you mean?" she asked warily, almost wishing that she hadn't probed for further information.

_He couldn't mean what she thought he was saying. Could he?_

"Well, you know..." Frank fumbled, looking even more uncomfortable.

"No, I _don't know," _Emma snapped and Frank raised his eyebrows at her sharp tone.

"Sorry," she apologised again, making an effort to soften her voice. "But I really _don't _know what you're trying to say, Frank."

Frank turned away hurriedly but not before Emma caught the telltale glint of an unshed tear.

Her heart went out to him in sympathy, but it was also beating frantically as she anxiously awaited his reply.

She didn't have long to wait.

"I'm saying that there is only one reason that Jenna and I broke up... and his name is Jake Knightley."

**...**

At that moment, the alleged reason for Frank and Jenna's break-up was standing in his sister-in-law's kitchen, dutifully stirring the contents of a silver saucepan.

His mind was on autopilot, stirring automatically, as he wondered when Emma had first started developing romantic feelings for Frank Churchill.

They had met as teenagers, of course, and Emma had joked around about having a crush on Frank back then, but maybe it wasn't just an adolescent crush anymore...

"I think that sauce is done, Jake," Izzy said in amusement, taking the wooden spoon from his hands.

He came back to earth with a start and realised that the creamy mixture was bubbling away merrily.

"Sorry, Iz," he said sheepishly. "Just spaced out for a minute."

"You're _still _a better kitchenhand than your brother," Izzy replied with a forgiving smile.

"Hey, I resent that!" John called. "I've got my hands full with the kids! I just found Henry trying to climb the chimney so he could find out where Santa lives and Jacob has been singing the same song for the past two hours! It's stuck in my head now. What are we going to do when EJ starts walking and talking?"

"Welcome to my life, honey," Izzy said with a wink.

John pretended to pout. His wife smiled, walked over to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

Jake watched their sweet moment and again felt an unwelcome tinge of envy – this time of his brother and sister-in-law's obvious domestic happiness.

At eighteen years old, he'd been planning to marry Caroline Bingley, and while he was somewhat relieved that their relationship hadn't worked out, he did still secretly long for a family of his own.

And since Caroline, there was only one woman that he'd wanted to have that family with.

He closed his eyes, allowing himself to briefly escape into fantasy. Coming home from the office and being welcomed by an affectionate Emma. Children – a boy and a girl – running up to greet him. They had his dark hair and Emma's lively hazel eyes. A German shepherd barking eagerly.

_When had he turned into such a sap? _he wondered wryly. _The media always made a big deal about women's biological clocks and romantic fantasies... didn't they realise men suffered from the same ailments?_

He opened his eyes again and saw John and Izzy cooing affectionately over a sleepy EJ who had woken up from her nap and was staring at her parents with wide eyes.

Jake vowed that he wouldn't let his dreams disintegrate so easily. Frank or no Frank – he _would _share his feelings with Emma tonight. And no matter what the outcome... at least he'd _know._

**...**

"Are you _sure _you're alright now?" Emma asked doubtfully.

Frank nodded dully. "I'll be fine, Em. I'll even make an appearance at the party tonight. I just need a bit of time to myself first."

He forced a smile. "But thanks for coming and listening to me vent. I really needed that."

"Any time," Emma promised, giving her friend a warm hug. "Well, if you're sure you're OK, I'll head over to Izzy's now. I promised I'd go help her out..." She looked quickly at her watch and winced. "Two hours ago."

"My fault," Frank said, looking contrite. "I hope she won't be mad."

"Oh, no, she won't be," Emma reassured him quickly, not wanting him to feel guilty. "She's very understanding. But she also starts panicking if things don't go according to plan, so I really need to go."

She picked up her bag. "Now I don't want you listening to any weepy music or pigging out on ice-cream, OK?" she teased gently.

Frank's smile was genuine this time. "I'll resist the urge to put _I Will Always Love You _on repeat on my iPod," he agreed.

Emma grinned. He'd cracked a joke! It would take some time, but Frank Churchill was definitely on the road to recovery.

If only she could say the same for _her _heart.

As soon as she'd hugged Taylor goodbye and walked out of the Weston household, the walls of her cheery facade quickly disappeared.

_Jake and Jenna? Jenna and Jake?_

OK, so she'd suspected as much, thanks to Miss Bates' revelations a few days ago. But that didn't make the news hurt any less.

She got into her car and looked sternly at her reflection in the rearview mirror.

"Emma Jacqueline Woodhouse, you are _not _going to sulk," she said out loud. "Jake is your best friend and he's finally found the right girl for him. When he breaks the news to you, you are going to smile and tell him how happy you are. He must _never _know how you truly feel."

She nodded with determination and drove silently to her sister's home.

**...**

"It's about time!" Izzy exclaimed as Emma walked into the Knightley kitchen.

"I'm sorry," Emma said immediately. "I didn't realise how late it was."

"Oh, I'm just teasing you!" Izzy exclaimed. "Everything's actually pretty much under control at the moment. I should've just told you not to worry about coming over early."

"I'm impressed!" Emma said sincerely. "How did you get all this done, Izzy? Did John help you?"

"Well, he was a great help in looking after the kids, but that meant he couldn't help out in the kitchen," Izzy explained. "Luckily I had another helper, though..."

"Hey, Emma."

Emma's head snapped up at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Hey, Jake," she managed to say softly, wondering when she'd become tongue-tied around the guy she'd known her whole life.

She felt her earlier resolve begin to melt.

"Izzy, if you really don't need me, I might just go home and..." she started to say.

"Hang on, Em," Jake said firmly. "We need to talk."

**...**

_**Author's Note: Many thanks to TheImaginationAddict, iambbq, EaF, Bet, cutelilmochi, Ami4, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, ilovecherries123 and Mrs. Rilla Ford for reviewing!**_

_**In regards to the number of remaining chapters to this story, 'ten' is definitely not set in stone! This story is already longer than I was planning and there may be times when I feel that a longer or shorter chapter would suit better. So it's just a guideline, readers... don't take it too seriously...**_

_**cutelilmochi: It's a bit hard to answer your questions without giving away too many spoilers! But I can say that Jake hasn't really thought about the ramifications of a long-distance relationship. At the moment, he's more concerned with (finally!) revealing his feelings for Emma. I'll also say this – never assume anything! ;)**_


	28. Of Mix-Ups and Mess-Ups

"Let me get this straight, Caroline," Connor Bingley said, sounding tired – as well he might, considering that he and his daughter were in different time zones.

"It's only been three weeks since you had all your things shipped to Sydney... and now you're saying that you've already had enough of Sydney and you want to come back to London?"

On the other end of the phone, Caroline breathed a quiet sigh of exasperation. She'd known that this conversation wouldn't be easy, which is why she'd been putting it off. But with Jake leaving the next day, she _couldn't _afford to avoid it any longer.

"Well, I'm just so _homesick, _Daddy," she wheedled sweetly, knowing that her little-girl act always had her father wrapped around her little finger. "I miss you and Mother... and I suppose seeing you at Charlie's wedding just made those feelings even stronger."

"Hmph!" her father snorted, not sounding convinced. "When you were living in London, miss, your mother and I were lucky to see you once a month for dinner!"

"That's just because I was so _busy, _Daddy," Caroline cajoled. "I'll _make _the time to come see you at least once a week when I move back – I promise!"

"Can I get that in writing?" her father suggested wryly.

"Oh, Daddy, you're such a _lawyer," _Caroline giggled.

But she smiled in triumph. Oh, he hadn't actually said so in words, but she knew that Connor Bingley had relented. He might be tough as nails in the legal world, but he was soft as butter when it came to meeting the desires of his precious youngest child.

She looked around her apartment with a critical eye. It had certainly taken a lot of effort to get it decorated and furnished just the way she wanted it. And it would take her quite a bit of time to find new accommodation in London, let alone worry about the interior design.

However, she was a Bingley and her family name had always been very effective in opening doors. She had no doubt that she'd be able to find and furnish a similar apartment overseas in no time. Besides, when she considered the pros and cons, the cost of staying in Sydney far outweighed the cost of going back to the UK.

After all, Jake Knightley would be starting a new life in London very shortly... and Caroline Bingley planned to be there right by his side.

**...**

"I can't believe our boy is going to London," Blythe commented sadly as she poured herself a cup of steaming herbal tea and sat down at the kitchen table with her husband.

Peter chuckled heartily. "Honey, our boy is 32 and hasn't lived at home for almost fifteen years! He's been out of the family nest for a very long time now."

"I know, but at least he's always lived in Sydney," Blythe pointed out. "It was one thing having him move away from home when he was less than half an hour's drive away, but now he's going to be about 23 hours' flight away. Almost a whole day!"

"You know it's a good opportunity for him, Blythe. You've told him that yourself," her husband pointed out. He would miss having his son nearby too, of course, but he could see that he would have to hold back his personal sentiments in order to comfort his wife.

Blythe hadn't revealed the extent of her feelings to Jake, of course. She cared too much about her son to let her emotions get in the way of what would be best for him.

The trouble was, she wasn't sure that moving to London _was _what was best for him.

She knew that Jake did admire Connor Bingley, but why was he so insistent that he needed the experience in Bingley's office to be taken seriously in the legal world? He was already co-owner and partner in one of the most prestigious law firms in Sydney. His parents were in Sydney, as were his brother, his nephews and niece, his closest friends... and most importantly of all, so was a very special hazel-eyed young woman.

**...**

"Looks like it's going to rain tonight," Jake said awkwardly as they stepped outside, looking at the ominous grey clouds which loomed above their heads.

As soon as he had uttered the words, he wished he could take them back.

He had imagined how this particular conversation might go many times, but it had never once begun with him discussing the weather as though Emma were a random stranger!

Emma was equally taken aback by his trivial comment.

_I suppose he really doesn't know what to say to me anymore, _she thought sadly. The gap between them seemed to have increased since she had learned about his secret relationship with Jenna Fairfax. Was he ever planning on telling her about it? Or would she be kept in the dark until she received an invitation to their wedding?

"I guess you'll be getting a lot of that in London," she said finally.

_How were Jake and Jenna going to keep up a long-distance relationship, anyway? Perhaps Jenna would end up switching universities... Trinity College would probably accept her..._

They walked down the street together quietly.

Jake was doing his best to come up with an eloquent confession of love for Emma, whilst she, completely unaware of what was going on in his mind, was wrestling with grim thoughts about Jake and Jenna.

She was mentally going through a list of plausible reasons to _not _attend their wedding (maybe she could get her wisdom teeth out that weekend), when she suddenly become aware of the unnatural silence between them.

_This is it, _she suddenly realised, with a little twinge of fear. _He's finally going to tell me about his relationship with Jenna. Oh, why does he have to tell me now? Can't he just do it via email or something? Then he wouldn't have to see my reaction._

She could not – and would not – lead the way into that particular conversation, but she did feel a need to break the awkward silence.

"Guess what?" she said, doing her best to inject a note of lightheartedness that she did not feel into her voice. "As you know, Henry's sixth birthday is coming up. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he told me that he wanted to climb Mt Everest."

"Really?" Jake's green eyes sparkled with genuine amusement. "And how did you respond to that birthday wish?"

Emma smiled mischievously. "I told him he'd have to wait until Uncle Jake would take him."

Jake laughed and Emma joined him. For a moment, the tension between them was gone, but it was back soon enough.

"I hear you went to see Frank Churchill this afternoon," he said, attempting to sound casual, but failing miserably.

"Yeah, I did," Emma replied, surprised by the unexpected change of topic. "He was..."

She trailed off, remembering that she had promised Frank that she wouldn't tell anybody else about his former relationship with Jenna.

"He was in need of some company," she said instead. Which was quite true, but Emma had never been good at telling anything other than the _complete _truth.

There was a faint blush to her cheeks, which Jake noted with dismay.

"You and Frank seem to have become quite close," he observed coolly, looking directly into Emma's hazel eyes, so that he could observe her reaction.

Sure enough, she seemed slightly flustered by his observation.

"Well, why not?" she countered defensively. "He's just moved to Sydney, he's still settling in and he's lonely... why shouldn't I be friends with him?"

"Lonely!" Jake scoffed. "With all those girls fawning over him? There are many words that I could use to describe Frank Churchill, but lonely certainly wouldn't be one of them!"

"Maybe he's not interested in all those girls that are fawning over him!" Emma snapped back, her hazel eyes now flashing angrily.

On Frank's behalf, especially after he'd confided his love for Jenna to her, she was tired of people seeing him as some sort of charming playboy. Sure, a large group of women did find him attractive, but what did that matter, especially when he couldn't have the one woman whom he _did _care about?

But Emma's defence of Frank only discouraged Jake further. Obviously she and Frank were much closer than he had ever imagined...

"You act like you're jealous of him or something," she told him, not realising how very close to the mark she was.

"I am jealous of him, Emma," Jake said quietly. It was too late for him to back out now.

Her eyebrows shot up. "You _want _to be chased by flocks of fawning women?"

"No, no," he hastily amended. "Come on, Em, you know me better than that."

At this point, Emma was beginning to wonder whether she really knew Jake Knightley at all.

"In _one _aspect only," Jake clarified, looking at her meaningfully. "In _one _aspect, he is the object of my envy."

He waited for the penny to drop.

Emma could not make herself speak. So it _was _true, after all!

Jake was in love with Jenna Fairfax. Oh, the signs had been there for some time now, but she'd done her best to ignore them, hoping that they would go away in time.

But this was too obvious to ignore.

She hadn't realised that Jake knew about Frank and Jenna's former relationship, but it only made sense that Jenna could have informed Jake in the same manner that Frank had divulged it to her.

But she didn't want to talk about Jake's feelings for Jenna. Wasn't it hard enough to see him fly to London tomorrow, without having him confess his love for another woman to her as well?

She would just change the subject neatly and then they could talk about something else. _But what?_

"You won't ask me _why _I am jealous of Frank Churchill," Jake commented, startling Emma out of her private thoughts. "I can tell that you're doing your best not to show curiosity, but perhaps, Emma, I _want _you to be curious. I need to tell you something... even if your reaction will make me wish it hadn't been said."

"Oh, no!" Emma cried in distress. "No, if you have even the slightest thought that you may regret what you are about to say, please do not say it. Take some time to think about it. Don't commit yourself to words which may be better left unsaid."

There was a pause.

"Is that truly what you think, Emma?" Jake asked in an odd tone, turning his head slightly away from her.

Emma didn't even need to give it a second thought. She simply _couldn't _let Jake spoil her memory of his last night in Sydney. She knew him well enough to know that he would tell her eventually at a later date of his feelings for Jenna... but not tonight. She couldn't handle it tonight.

"Yes, Jake," she replied gravely. "I just... I have a feeling that our friendship will be better off if you leave this unsaid."

"Right then," Jake said quietly. He glanced at his watch. "I guess we'd better get back to Izzy's."

And he strode off, not even bothering to wait for Emma to follow him.

He didn't want her to see the sadness in his eyes.

**...**

_**Author's Note: Oh, this was a HARD chapter to write! And if you made it all the way to the end, I'm sure you agree with me.**_

_**As Austen fans will realise, this is basically a modernised version of a certain scene in the novel. However, the main difference here is that novel Emma cannot bear to see Mr Knightley in pain and unselfishly allows him to reveal his heart to her... unfortunately my Emma is not as noble... yet!**_

_**Also, do you remember that infamous wedding scene at the end of my prologue? No? **_

_**Go back and read that first chapter! You'll need to refresh your memories because... that scene is coming up in the NEXT CHAPTER. Yes, it's finally here.**_

_**But never fear, my dear readers... I do love a happy ending and this story will be no exception. It just may take a while to get there and I hope you'll be patient with me in the meantime.**_

_**Thank you so much to ZeMonstarrOfSquishy, TheImaginationAddict, iambbq, RhiannonAmidala, MySarcasticGreenCrayon, toffeema, cartasdeamor, EaF, Ami4, ilovecherries123, guest, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley and Mrs. Rilla Ford for your reviews!**_


	29. Of Memories and Marriage

"_So what are your plans for the summer, Jake? Have you thought any more about looking for a part-time job? It's never too early to start getting experience in the legal field," Peter Knightley commented to his son at the dinner table one evening._

"_Well, actually..." Jake looked nervously at his mother, who smiled warmly at him and nodded her encouragement. "I'm planning on going to Europe for the summer."_

"_For the whole summer?" his father exclaimed in surprise. "Can you afford to do that, Jake?"_

_Jake nodded firmly. "It's not like I'll be staying in five-star hotels or anything. I can definitely afford to backpack across Europe for three months."_

'_Especially once I return this,' he thought wryly, slipping his hand into his pocket and feeling the tiny ring box there._

"_Did you know about this, Blythe?" Peter asked his wife, a slight hint of accusation in his tone._

"_Yes, Jake told me of his intentions and I think it's a great idea," Blythe admitted freely. "Honey, most kids his age are taking a whole gap year to travel and figure his life out. He's finishing his first year at uni and he wants a break for three months. Let him do it."_

"_Where did this come from?" Peter spluttered. "Only a week ago, you were talking about looking for a job! Wasn't Caroline's father supposed to interview you for an internship?"_

_At the mention of Caroline, Jake glanced at his mother for support. Only she knew the full and humiliating story of how Caroline Bingley had dumped him by voicemail after he had tried to propose to her._

_She squeezed his shoulder comfortingly, as though reading his thoughts. _

"_Peter, I think Jake's mind is made up whether you agree with it or not," she said calmly. "Don't you want to let your son go with your blessing, rather than make him determined to leave Sydney even earlier than planned?"_

_It took a fair amount of persuasion, but Peter reluctantly gave his older son his blessing to spend the summer in Europe._

_It took a lot more persuasion (namely bribery) for six-year-old Emma to give Jake her blessing._

"_Jake! I knew you were going to come today!" she squealed excitedly as Jake walked into the Woodhouse home. "Guess what – Daddy says the circus is going to be here on my birthday! Will you take me there for my birthday, Jake?"_

_Her question was more of a statement, really – she had no doubt that her best friend would be happy and willing to take her to the circus for her birthday._

"_I can't wait to see the clowns," she informed him. "Izzy thinks they're scary but I think they're funny."_

"_I'm sorry, Em," Jake said earnestly, bending down to his little friend's level. "I can't take you to the circus for your birthday."_

_The little girl had been pulling out her Lego set as she chattered excitedly, but she froze when he said this._

"_Why?"_

_And for the first time, Jake felt a strange twinge of guilt as he looked into Emma's trusting hazel eyes._

"_I'm going to Europe for the summer. Remember when we looked at those photos from your parents' honeymoon there? So I won't be around for your birthday."_

_He broke the news as gently as he could, but it didn't stop Emma from looking crestfallen._

"_But you're always here for my birthday," she protested, sounding slightly bewildered._

_And perhaps she had the right to be bewildered – Jake did always make a special point of making a fuss over her on her birthday. Many people tried to combine her birthday with Christmas as the two dates were so close together, which frustrated Emma to no end (especially when people gave her a birthday present and Christmas present in one). So Jake did make an effort to celebrate her birthday as a separate and special occasion._

"_I'll make it up to you," he promised. "I'll come back in March and we'll have a belated birthday celebration for you, OK?"_

_Her brow furrowed. "What does 'be-lay-ted' mean?"_

"_A bit late," Jake explained. "But we'll do something special. I promise."_

_The six-year-old looked thoughtful, but when she began pulling out her Lego and proudly babbling about wanting to make a village out of it, Jake figured she'd forget all about Europe soon enough._

_Oh, how wrong he was._

_The next day, Jake was on his way home from his last exam when his phone rang. _

"_Hi Izzy," he said in surprise. "What's up?"_

_A chill ran through his body when Izzy told him that Emma hadn't come home for lunch._

"_Are you sure? Maybe she's just playing outside or something."_

_He knew Emma's tendency to get caught up in a game or some type of amusement – it wouldn't be the first time she'd forgotten to come in for a meal._

"_No, she's not in the backyard or the front and she's not in the cubby house either," Isabella informed him._

_Jake could hear a hysterical-sounding Mr Woodhouse in the background, moaning about how they should never have let Emma go outside on her own._

"_I'll be there as soon as I can," he said quickly, and true to his word, he immediately raced towards the nearest bus stop._

_The Knightley front door was unlocked as usual and Jake dashed to his room to put down his books and get ready to start looking for Emma. Only his search was over before it began. For she was curled up on his bed, sound asleep, a small Barbie suitcase next to her._

_Despite the anxiety she had put everyone through, Jake couldn't help but smile at the pretty picture his little friend made. He tiptoed out of the room to let the Woodhouses and his own family know that Emma was safe and sound._

"_Why did you come over by yourself, munchkin?" he asked gently when she finally woke up._

"_I brought my suitcase so I could to go Europe with you," she replied innocently. She opened her Barbie suitcase so that Jake could see its contents – three T-shirts, two pairs of shorts, five books, her teddy bear and a box of Band-Aids._

_Jake smothered a grin. "I hate to break it to you, Em, but it's winter in Europe now. You'd freeze over there in those T-shirts and shorts."_

"_Then I'll go home and get my jumper," she said in a serious tone._

_It took precisely three days, six hours and forty-seven minutes for Jake to convince Emma that she couldn't come to Europe with him. And this was only after he had promised to buy her a present from every country he visited in Europe, take her to Taronga Zoo when he returned, take her on a ferry ride to Manly, show her how to bake peanut butter cookies, call her every week and take her to the circus when it next came to town._

_After negotiations were complete, Jake was convinced that Emma was the one who should be a lawyer someday._

**...**

"Oh, EJ, you're getting _big!" _Taylor cooed as the baby stared intently at her. "But you're still as cute as ever. I really am going to run away with you one of these days."

The farewell party was over and Izzy had asked Taylor to watch EJ while she put the boys to bed. EJ had napped for most of the party and as a result, she was now wide awake although her big brothers were yawning.

"Hey, you are _not _kidnapping my niece," Emma laughed. "You and Dan are trying for one of your own already! If anyone gets to take this baby away from John and Izzy, it should be the spinster aunty."

Although Emma's tone sounded light-hearted, there was a bitter note to it that her friend's observant ears picked up on instantly.

"Hey, I hate the word 'spinster' and you are definitely not one, anyway!" Taylor said firmly. "I mean, you're _20. _You're not even a legal adult in some countries. You haven't moved out of home yet or started on your career. You have your whole life ahead of you and you don't need a guy to make you feel complete."

"I know," Emma said, holding up her hands with a slight smile. "I know all those things, Tay. I guess I just feel like indulging in a little self-pity tonight."

"You've got to be careful about indulging in self-pity – it's a dangerous thing. Take it from someone who knows," Taylor chided. "One moment you're sorry for yourself over something relatively small and the next you're wondering why you were ever born. Didn't you ever watch _It's A Wonderful Life?"_

"Point taken," Emma acknowledged. "But can I at least bend your ear for a little while?"

"That's what friends are for! So, what's got you upset – is it Jake trouble?" Taylor asked knowingly.

"Not trouble per se," Emma said haltingly. "It's just that we don't seem to know what to say to each other anymore. It's like we've drifted apart. And once he moves to London, things are never going to be the same between us again."

"You've been best friends for two decades. A temporary move to London is not going to change that," Taylor argued staunchly. "And no offence, Em, but maybe this drifting part thing is all in your head. If _you're _feeling weird around him, Jake's probably sensing that and unconsciously acting strangely around you in return."

Emma pondered her friend's words for a moment. "Maybe you're right," she agreed reluctantly.

"I know I'm right," Taylor answered smugly. "So did you two ever end up having the DTR (aka Define The Relationship) talk?"

Emma frowned slightly as she thought back to their earlier conversation. Again, she felt unexpectedly guilty – Jake had obviously been eager to share the news of his budding relationship with Jenna Fairfax and she hadn't even given him an opportunity to speak.

_I'll ask him about it once he's out of the country, _she reassured herself. She was sure that she could put up with hearing the news from a safe distance – somewhere where Jake couldn't see her reaction either.

"We had _a _talk, but didn't really get to say much to each other," she said carefully. Taylor was one of her closest friends, but Emma knew she needed to respect Jake's privacy. If he wanted to share his news with Taylor and the rest of their group, he would do it himself.

"That's a shame," Taylor mused, quietly frustrated that Jake hadn't tried to define his relationship with Emma. She'd been dropping numerous hints to him, but clearly they hadn't been sinking in!

"But don't worry about it, sweetie. If it's meant to be, it'll happen somehow. If not... well, you deserve to be with someone who loves you in the same way that you love them. And in terms of staying friends – like I said, Jake being in London temporarily is not going to wipe out 20 years of friendship. Whatever else may happen, I know you two will always be friends."

Emma nodded silently. She sure hoped they would be.

**...**

_It was a picture-perfect spring day – the kind of day that Emma had always dreamed of getting married on. The morning was warm and sunny while the sky was bright blue. Tiny white puffs of cotton-wool clouds drifted overhead._

_The weather didn't suit Jake at all. It was selfish of him but part of him had almost been hoping for rain. Grey skies. A thunderstorm. Hail. Some sort of visual cosmic sign that would show Emma that she was marrying the wrong man._

"_Oh, honey, you look so beautiful!"_

_Jake winced at his mother's words. To add insult to injury, the bride-to-be had stayed at his family's home last night so that Blythe could help her get ready this morning. _

_He couldn't see her, of course, as he had barricaded himself in his old bedroom, but just knowing that she was in the next room – so close and yet so far away – was pure torture._

'_This wasn't how it was meant to be,' he whispered under his breath. He involuntarily clenched his hand into a fist as he eyed the lilac invitation on top of his dresser._

_He'd gone away to London to try and forget Emma – and now he had come home for her wedding._

"_Now you need to eat something, Emma," Blythe admonished. "I don't want you fainting in the church."_

"_I don't think I could eat anything," Emma demurred, although she looked wistfully at the French toast Blythe had already prepared._

"_Yes, you could and you should," Blythe said sternly. "You won't have much time to eat today, my dear – what with people wanting to congratulate you and take photos of you... At least have one piece of French toast."_

"_Oh, alright, you've twisted my arm!" Emma laughed._

_As the sound of footsteps faded away, Jake opened his bedroom door. To his astonishment, Emma was still in the guest room next door; standing in front of a full-length mirror and looking thoughtfully at her reflection. She gasped when she saw him and her cheeks flushed a slight crimson._

"_Sorry," Jake instantly apologised. "I thought you and Mum had gone downstairs."_

"_No, your mum insisted that every bride deserved to be spoiled on her wedding day. She's bringing the French toast up here," Emma explained. "And don't worry, it's only the groom who's not allowed to see the bride before the wedding."_

"_You look beautiful," he said quietly._

"_Thanks," she said with a smile. "I love this dress. It makes me feel like a princess. I can't accept only being able to wear it once."_

"_Are you happy, Em?" he asked suddenly. He had to know. "Does he make you happy?"_

_And because she looked slightly startled by the intensity of his tone, he jokingly added, "Will he let you climb trees and eat chocolate-chip ice-cream every day?"_

_Emma appeared confused for a minute and then her hazel eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, that's right – that was the deal if we were ever going to get married!" she laughed. "Well, I doubt that I could climb a tree every day now and he doesn't actually like chocolate-chip ice-cream but I think we'll have a good marriage anyway."_

"_He doesn't like chocolate-chip ice-cream? It's not too late to back out of the wedding," Jake teased, trying to keep his voice light-hearted._

_Emma looked contemplative for a moment and then she smiled. "You don't always get the dream house, but you get awfully close."_

_Jake swallowed the growing lump in his throat. He recognised that quote – Suddenly 30 had always been one of Emma's favourite movies. And little did she realise how apt that particular quote was right now._

"_I've got to pick up our nephews. I'll see you at the church," he said hastily. And he left as quickly as he could, not wanting to linger with the dream house that could never be his._

_Two hours later, Jake Knightley watched Emma Woodhouse float down the aisle in a beautiful Vera Wang dress and felt a pang of pain stab his heart. For he wasn't the groom she was walking towards. He couldn't help but wonder how it had all gone so terribly wrong._

And then Jake abruptly awoke with a jolt.

**...**

_**So the wedding scene has finally come. And it was all a dream! Did anyone see that coming?**_

_**I toyed with a few different ideas of how the wedding scene would play out. One option involved Emma deciding to marry Frank Churchill, not knowing about his past relationship until Jenna Fairfax suddenly stormed in and yelled 'Stop the wedding!' Another option was that the Vera Wang dress was actually a bridesmaid dress and Emma would be bridesmaid at someone else's wedding but seeing her walking down the aisle would make Jake think about what he was missing out on. A third option was that she would marry a completely original character. But as you can see, I eventually decided to go with the dream!**_

_**And so that decision affected this chapter structurally – it begins with a flashback in the past from when Jake was 18 and Emma was 6 (same time frame as the prologue), the middle part with Taylor and Emma after Jake's farewell party was obviously present... and the first two sections were designed to make you think that the third scene with the wedding was the future.**_

_**At the moment, I'm thinking there will be three more chapters followed by an epilogue, so I hope you'll keep reading the story.**_

_**Thanks and appreciation for your lovely feedback and reviews – EaF, iambbq, Guest, RhiannonAmidala, TheImaginationAddict, daisyxduck, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, TodayIsYesterday'sTomorrow, Ami4 and Debertt!**_


	30. Of Farewells and Family

"I'm glad we finally got to catch up today," Emma said with a smile. "It's been way too long since we last saw each other."

Henrietta ducked her head shyly. "I know and that's been my fault," she confessed in a low voice. "To be honest, I was trying to avoid you. I was afraid of what you might say when you found out that Rob and I were finally dating at last. I still can't believe he was the guy I'd been writing to online! And I thought he didn't like me... but it turned out that he just couldn't deny his feelings for _his _online friend – who turned out to be me, anyway!"

"I _am _happy for you and Rob. He's a great guy," Emma said sincerely. Once upon a time, she had thought that Rob Martin wasn't good enough for Henrietta. But now that she could see the light in Henrietta's eyes and the rosy glow on her cheeks, she couldn't deny that this relationship appeared to having a very positive effect on her friend. Henrietta had truly blossomed and had developed the confidence and self-assurance of a woman who knows she is loved.

And Emma couldn't help but feel a little bit envious of that.

"And what about you and Lucas?" Henrietta questioned excitedly. "How is he doing? Did you ever decide to give him a chance after all?"

"Oh, no," Emma laughed. "But don't feel too sorry for him, he didn't spend too much time pining after me. Only a week later, he started going out with a girl from uni. Her name is August. She's very posh – lives in Dover Heights, has been to boarding school in Switzerland and has a British accent which I'm _sure _she puts on. Oh, and get this – she doesn't call him Lucas – she calls him _Elton."_

"She calls him _Elton?" _Henrietta repeated incredulously. "That doesn't sound posh to me."

Emma laughed. "I don't think so either. But Lucas adores her, which is the important thing."

She looked subtly at her watch. 1:33. Jake's plane was taking off in less than an hour.

He'd refused to let anyone come see him off at the airport. Otherwise she and the rest of the gang would have been there right now.

"It's not like I'm moving to London permanently," he insisted. "I'll be back soon."

_But who knew what might change before Jake came back to Sydney? _Emma wondered. Somehow she couldn't shake the feeling that if Jake went to London, things would never truly be the same again.

**...**

Jake idly leafed through a stray newspaper as he sat in the airport food court, trying to kill some time. He'd arrived a couple of hours early to be on the safe side, but he had gotten bored pretty quickly. He'd brought along some books, of course, but was planning to save them for the long flight ahead.

_It would've been so different if his family and friends were here, _he found himself pondering, and suddenly wished he hadn't told them not to come. He could imagine Izzy, Taylor and Emma checking out what they could buy at the duty free shops, his dad taking Henry and Jacob to go look at the planes, his mother giving him last-minute words of advice...

_Get over it, Jake, _he told himself. It wasn't as though his family and friends would be around in London, anyway. He loved having that sense of community in Sydney, but he needed to get used to being alone as well.

"Uncle Jake!" a young voice called urgently.

_That's strange, _he thought. _That sounds exactly like..._

"Uncle Jake!" The voice was louder now and Jake spun around in his seat. His mouth dropped open. He had just been wishing that his family and friends were there to see him off... and here they were.

"Surprise!" Izzy said with a wink. "You didn't _really _think we were going to let you leave without farewelling you at the airport, did you?"

"I can't believe it," Jake muttered in feigned annoyance, but he couldn't hide his smile. His two nephews ran up to him and two-year-old Jacob hugged his uncle's legs.

"Don't go, Unc' Jake," he said earnestly.

"Hey, sweetie, we had this talk, already, OK? Uncle Jake isn't going away forever. He'll come back and visit," Izzy reassured her younger son.

"I sure will," Jake promised, feeling his eyelids grow suspiciously moist. He blinked the moisture away. "You're turning three in a couple of months and I'll definitely be back to celebrate with you."

"But you won't be there all the time like you are now," five-year-old Henry piped up helpfully. "And Daddy says you'll probably end up marrying some English chick and staying in London. But I don't understand, Uncle Jake. Why would you marry a chicken?"

"Henry, shush!" Isabella scolded, her face reddening. "Sorry, Jake – maybe we shouldn't have come, after all."

"Don't be silly," Jake said quickly, stifling his laughter at his nephew's innocent remark. "I'll be honest – I was just thinking about you all and wishing you were here."

"We couldn't let you go without one more reminder of how awesome we are," Taylor teased, her brown eyes dancing with amusement.

"You are," Jake said sincerely. "And it means a lot to me that you're all here."

But they weren't _all _there. One person was missing. Well, three if you included Adele and Mr Woodhouse, but he wouldn't have expected them to come to the airport.

"Where's Emma?" he asked casually.

"She's having lunch with Henrietta," Taylor explained. "She says she's sorry that she couldn't come to the airport, but to keep in touch and let her know how London is."

"Thanks," Jake said dully.

_Keep in touch? Let her know how London was? Since when had he and Emma become nothing more than polite acquaintances?_

"Oh, look!" Izzy exclaimed excitedly. "The perfume here is so cheap, Tay – we need to go have a look!"

"I knew I was going to regret bringing my credit card today," Dan said good-naturedly as he followed the two women to the duty-free shop opposite.

"Oh, look, Dad – they have a McDonalds here. Can I get a chocolate sundae?" Henry begged his father.

"Ice-cream!" Jacob added to his brother's plea.

"Good idea! And Grandpa's buying," John said with a grin, nodding towards his father who had taken over reading the newspaper that Jake had abandoned.

Peter looked up with a start. "Huh... what?"

"Go buy your son and grandsons some ice-cream, dear," Blythe said with a smile. "I'll keep Jake company."

"So the big moment's finally here, huh?" she said, turning to her older son.

"Hmmm... I guess," Jake replied noncommittally.

"You don't sound very excited about it," Blythe observed.

"Well, it hasn't really sunk in yet," Jake said with a shrug. "Maybe when I actually land in London, things will be different."

"Honey, you know you're going there. If you're not excited about knowing you're going to be there, being there physically won't make any difference," Blythe said sagely.

His mother had a way of putting into words what he knew but couldn't articulate.

"Well, it's going to be a new start," Jake said finally. "And it's a great opportunity and I'll get to work with Connor Bingley..."

"You will get to work with Connor Bingley," Blythe said carefully. "But it can't be a great opportunity if you're not happy."

"What is 'happy', anyway?" Jake mused. "Happiness is usually relative depending on people's circumstances... so if I can't be happy now, I've just got to change my circumstances."

As a rule, Blythe generally didn't interfere with her children's lives , but she was _dying _to know.

"I thought you were already working on changing your circumstances and your happiness, Jake," she suggested delicately. "What about Emma?"

She had wondered if her son had ever mustered up the courage to tell his best friend that he loved her, especially after she had oh-so-subtly nudged him to do it.

Since he hadn't mentioned anything about it and he was still going to London, she could only come to one of two conclusions. Either he'd held his tongue or he'd been rejected. She just didn't know which it was.

"What _about _Emma?" he replied testily. She had her answer now.

"So the talk didn't go too well?"

"Considering that she's in love with Frank Churchill... no, not well at all," Jake muttered.

Blythe's eyebrows shot up. "Emma in love with _Frank Churchill? _Are you sure about that, Jake?"

"Sure I'm sure," he said despondently. "He's the good-looking charming guy who comes back into her life after eight years and suddenly sweeps her off her feet. A real romantic story."

Blythe shook her head slowly. "But Jake, Frank Churchill is in love with Jenna Fairfax."

Jake stared at his mother. _"What?!"_

"I saw the way they were looking at each other at the farewell party last night," his mother said placidly.

"That's not exactly conclusive proof that Frank is in love with Jenna, Mum."

"And then I saw them kissing in the backyard," Blythe replied calmly. "They are a rather good-looking couple."

Jake stared at his mother. "Are you sure it was them, Mum? Frank Churchill and Jenna Fairfax?"

"Of course I'm sure," Blythe retorted, sounding slightly offended. "Honey, I'm not blind or senile. I recognised them, alright."

Jake's mind was working furiously.

_Emma was in love with Frank Churchill. But Frank Churchill was secretly going out with Jenna Fairfax!_

"I _knew _that guy was a jerk!" he exclaimed.

A pair of hazel eyes suddenly filled his imagination and he found himself wondering what would happen to Emma when she found out about Frank's betrayal.

She was a strong person, yes, but he of all people knew how damaging a broken heart could be.

He needed to be there for her.

"I have to go," he said abruptly as he stood up and grabbed his carry-on bag.

His mother stared at him in surprise. "But what about your flight? What about London and having a new start?"

Jake shook his head slowly. "I've changed my mind."

And before his mother could protest any further, Jake Knightley was sprinting towards the airport exit, wondering whether he should catch a train or a taxi.

He'd take whatever was faster to get to the girl he loved.

**...**

_**Author's Note: I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you like reading it! Thought you might be wondering what had happened to Henrietta and Lucas Elton, so I tried to fill in some blanks during this chapter. This story is drawing to a close very soon. **_

_**Thank you so much, all, for your heartfelt support and reviews – RhiannonAmidala (I hope this chapter makes you say 'Yay'!) Bet, TheImaginationAddict, iambbq, cutelilmochi (Your PMs are disabled, but I hope this chapter satisfies), TodayIsYesterday'sTomorrow, Ami4, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley (My world would end too!), EaF and MySarcasticGreenCrayon!**_

_**If you have more questions or just want to interact, feel free to PM me or follow me on Twitter! The link is on my profile. **_

_**Until the next chapter!**_


	31. Of Hopes and Hearts

"Look, Nan, we got ice-cream!" Henry boasted, as his grandpa led him and his little brother back to the table where Blythe now sat alone.

"Mmm, that looks good!" Blythe said with a smile, eyeing the soft serve cone that her oldest grandson clutched proudly. A large Flake adorned the swirly peak of vanilla ice-cream. "But I thought you were getting a sundae, Henry?"

"They ran out of fudge," Peter explained. "But the boys seem to be happy with these. I wasn't sure if you and Jake would want any, so we came back to check..."

Peter finally noticed that his older son was no longer at the table with his wife. He glanced around briefly and then turned to Blythe, frowning slightly.

"I didn't think the queue was _that _long! Don't tell me that Jake's boarded already."

"No, Jake hasn't boarded already," Blythe replied serenely, a secret twinkle in her sparkling eyes.

Peter glanced at the Departures board. "Right. Looks like his flight will be ready to board at any minute now, though. We'd better round up the rest of the family to say our goodbyes."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Blythe interjected.

Peter looked at his wife in astonishment. "Won't be necessary? What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said, dear – it won't be necessary to round up the rest of the family to say goodbye."

Blythe glanced at her watch. "I wonder if we can go collect Jake's luggage, though. I know it's technically on the plane already but it does seem like a waste to let it go to London if he won't be there."

"If he won't be there?" Peter repeated. "Honey, what on earth are you talking about? Why won't Jake be there?"

His wife seemed surprised that he hadn't already figured it out. "Because he'll be staying here, of course."

Peter stared at her incredulously and slowly rubbed his temples. "Are you saying that our son, who has been telling us for weeks what a great opportunity it will be to work with Connor Bingley, who was sitting here less than ten minutes ago - ready to board a plane to London, has suddenly decided to stay in Sydney?"

"I wouldn't say _suddenly _decided", Blythe demurred. "I think he made the decision a long time ago... he just hadn't realised it."

"Uh-huh," Peter said slowly. "And where is Jake right now?"

Blythe picked up her handbag. "Well, he didn't actually slow down enough to tell me, but I think it's a safe bet that he's gone to find Emma."

"Emma?!"

"Really, Peter, I do wish you'd stop repeating everything I say," his wife chided.

Peter exhaled and looked at his wife suspiciously. "What's going on, Blythe? You haven't been... meddling, have you?"

"What do you mean by _that? _I find the word 'meddling' offensive. And how could I possibly have been meddling, anyway?"

Her husband sighed exasperatedly, although there was now a twinkle in his eyes which matched Blythe's. "You know very well what I mean, sweetheart. Have you been trying to _matchmake?"_

"I wouldn't call it matchmaking," she protested. "Just maybe... doing a little nudging."

"We're back!" Taylor sang, interrupting their conversation.

Peter and Blythe looked up in surprise as Taylor, Dan and the rest of the Knightley family all arrived back at once.

"Where's Jake?" asked a puzzled John as he looked at his watch. "Is he in the bathroom or something?"

Peter and Blythe looked at one another and burst into simultaneous laughter.

"Ask your mother," Peter advised, shaking his head slightly. "I'm going to see if I can fetch your brother's suitcase."

**...**

"You look very pale, my dear," Mr Woodhouse observed as he looked at his daughter's tired face.

"Are you feeling ill?"

Emma shook her head. "No, Dad. I'm just worn out, I think," she said honestly. "I haven't been sleeping very well lately."

"Maybe you should take a nap," Mr Woodhouse suggested, his brow furrowing in concern. "Or would you like something to eat first? Adele made a lovely stew this morning."

"No, thanks, I had lunch with Henrietta," Emma explained. "And I don't think I'll take a nap now, or I won't be able to sleep tonight."

She crossed over to the window and peered outside. "Maybe I'll just go for a walk."

"Do you have something warm to wear?" her father asked solicitously. "I know the sky is blue, Emma, but it's not nearly as warm as it looks!"

"I'll take a jacket with me," Emma promised. She _would _take a jacket to appease her father, although she had no intention of wearing it. The weather had been quite warm while she'd been out earlier and she doubted that it would have changed much since then.

_Jake's the one who'll have to worry about cold weather, _she thought glumly.

She still couldn't believe that he was gone. Who knew how long it would be until they could hang out together again? Until they could go to brunch at bills again? Until they could argue about her lateness and his punctuality? Until she could hear his voice calling her name...

_Wait a second..._

"Emma! Emma, wait!"

She froze. She would know that voice anywhere.

Emma slowly turned around, almost afraid that she had been hallucinating. That her nostalgic memories of Jake had somehow conjured up a figment of her imagination.

But the dark-haired, green-eyed man standing opposite her was very real indeed.

"You're meant to be in London!" she exclaimed stupidly, not knowing what else to say.

"On a plane to London," Jake corrected. "And no, I'm not. I'm exactly where I'm meant to be."

He took a step closer to her and Emma stepped back instinctively, afraid that the close proximity to Jake would bring up the feelings which she had desperately been trying to squelch.

"Wh... what are you doing here?" she stammered.

Jake hesitated, wanting to word his answer tactfully.

"I heard some news... about Frank," he said haltingly, not sure whether Emma already knew the news herself.

Understanding dawned in Emma's hazel eyes.

Yes, _she _knew the news, alright. She had been the first person Frank Churchill had called that morning, eager to share the excitement of his reunion with the girl he loved.

"There was never anything going on between Jenna and Jake!" Frank had told her happily. "She was trying to sacrifice our relationship so that I could keep in my parents' good books. But out of the blue, Jenna's father contacted her yesterday. He's been searching for her for ages. He _didn't _abandon her at birth – her mother ran off without ever telling him that he was going to have a child. It turns out that he's a very wealthy businessman and has made plans to adopt Jenna! My mother can't fault us being together now."

Emma had been profoundly relieved to hear that there had been nothing going on between Jake and Jenna, but then she had started to wonder whether Jake could still have had feelings for Jenna, anyway, as he didn't know Frank's side of the story. So she'd silently vowed to move on as she'd originally planned and keep her focus on her family, her friends and her studies.

"You mean about Frank and Jenna," she prompted uneasily, not sure why Jake had brought them up in conversation.

She stole a quick glance at him. He didn't look upset.

"Yes, about Frank and Jenna," Jake confirmed. She flinched slightly as he gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Emma... I had to come back and see if you were OK."

"Of course I'm OK," Emma said in puzzlement.

_Why shouldn't she be? Unrequited feelings for her best friend aside..._

An expression of pain flittered across her face at this thought.

Jake noticed her change of expression and inwardly sighed. Emma might be saying that she was alright, but clearly this wasn't the case.

"Time will heal the wound, Em," he said softly, reaching out to touch her arm once again. He had learned that lesson with Caroline and now it looked as though he would be learning that lesson again.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked in shock, wondering when Jake had suddenly become a mind-reader. How could he know that she was thinking about him right now? And why was he consoling her over her hurt heart... when he was the one who had hurt it?

"He doesn't deserve your affections," Jake said quietly. "He led you on by spending so much time alone with you. We all thought there was something going on. His secret relationship with Jenna must have been a shock for you."

Emma turned his words over in her head, trying to make sense of them. And then a sudden flash of clarity eliminated her confusion.

"Hang on a second, Jake. When you say 'he' doesn't deserve my affections, are you referring to Frank Churchill?"

Jake looked at her in surprise. "Why, yes."

"And you missed your plane to London because you thought that Frank Churchill had broken my heart and you wanted to comfort me?"

Her best friend shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I suppose you could say that..."

Emma was touched by Jake's tender concern. She loved how he always put others before himself – his self-sacrificing compassion was just one of the many characteristics she appreciated about him.

"But he _hasn't _broken my heart," she said quickly, not wanting to perpetuate the misunderstanding any longer. "I've never thought about Frank in that way... and he had already told me the truth about Jenna. I was his confidante, actually."

Jake could hardly believe his ears. "You mean... you're not in love with Frank?" he asked, unable to hide his eagerness.

"No, I never was in love with Frank and I never will be," Emma said honestly.

Jake gazed into her hazel eyes and could see that she was telling him the truth. Suddenly he was filled with hope. It gave him the courage to do what he had once thought impossible.

"Emma," he said boldly. "I wanted to tell you something last night. I know you didn't want to hear it then. But I'm hoping you'll let me say it now."

Emma swallowed with difficulty. She wanted to protest, but she seemed to have lost the power of speech.

But then, she reasoned, Jake clearly needed to get something off his chest. As his best friend, she should listen to what he had to say – no matter how painful it might be for her.

He had demonstrated unselfish care towards her, when he'd missed his plane to London so that he could comfort her. She owed it to Jake to demonstrate that same unselfish care towards him.

"You can tell me whatever you want to," Emma said quietly. "As a friend, I'm willing to listen to whatever you have to say."

"As a friend..." Jake repeated slowly.

He shook his head in frustration. "Emma, that word... I don't want... oh, Emma, you are so much more than a friend to me."

She could hardly believe her ears.

"I wish I could make some really romantic speech that would sweep you off your feet," Jake continued. "But I'm not a poet like Lucas Elton. All I can do is tell you how I feel. I've known you all of your life. I know that your favourite colour is purple although you hate admitting it because you think it's too girly. I know that you prefer to read the last pages of a book first, just to make sure that you like the ending. I know that you can't stand soft-boiled eggs, but you'll eat them to make your father happy. But most of all, Emma, I know that you are an amazing woman. Yes, over the years, I've teased you and tried to make sure your head didn't grow too big. And you have put up with it like no other person could. And you've only grown stronger through it. I love you. Do you think that you could ever learn to love me?"

As Jake spoke, Emma eagerly drank in his words.

Jake didn't love Jenna Fairfax.

He loved her – Emma Woodhouse – flaws and all.

Oh, it was like a beautiful dream from which she hoped she would never awake!

In the midst of her happy thoughts, she realised that Jake was patiently waiting for a response to his question. Could she ever love him?

Words were not necessary. The brilliant smile on her face gave him his answer.

Once again, Jake took a step closer to Emma.

And this time she didn't move away.

**...**

_**Author's Note: **_

_I can't believe it! It's almost all over! _

_I hope you'll all stay tuned for the final chapter which will be the epilogue._

_And then I'll start working on either a prequel or a sequel to Symmetry (I haven't decided which yet) but either way, beloved readers, you don't have to worry about farewelling Jake and Emma just yet._

_Feel free to PM me or follow me on Twitter if you'd like to interact (I'm friendly, I promise!) and so that I can keep you posted on my future stories._

_Thank you to the wonderful reviewers of the previous chapter – TodayIsYesterday'sTomorrow, ZeMonstarrOfSquishy, iambbq, MySarcasticGreenCrayon, TheImaginationAddict, RhiannonAmidala, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, EaF, RemindMeOnceAgain and Ladyinshiningarmour!_


	32. Epilogue

_One year later..._

It was a beautiful spring day. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and there was just a hint of a cooling breeze.

"Perfect weather for a wedding," Taylor Weston observed happily. "I'm so glad they're having it at Strickland House – it will be so lovely to take photos at Milk Beach. Oh, Dan, I can't believe they're actually getting _married._ I remember when they first told us they were going out... it feels like it was just yesterday!"

"Well, it's actually been a year," Dan mused as he knotted his sky blue tie. "But the time seems to have just flown by."

"How do I look?" Taylor asked her husband, turning around for his approval.

She was wearing an empire-waisted coral maxi dress and a matching flower in her long dark hair. Jewelled sandals completed the simple yet elegant look.

"Hmm, I don't know. I think you'll have to wear something else," Dan murmured.

His wife looked a bit miffed. "Really? You don't like it?"

Dan grinned. "I didn't say that, honey. I just don't think it's legal to outshine the bride on her wedding day."

"Ha-ha. Very funny!" Taylor shot back. "I was in panic mode for a second, wondering what else I was going to wear."

"You look beautiful, Tay," Dan said sincerely, dropping a kiss on her head.

He eyed his own reflection. "Me, on the other hand... I think I need to shave."

He headed for their ensuite bathroom and Taylor's eyes widened in alarm.

"Wait!" she cried desperately. "I don't think you need to shave, Dan. I think you look fine!"

"What are you talking about? I look scruffy," Dan chuckled as he touched his cheek. "I don't think the best man is allowed to have whiskers, anyway. I need to be well-groomed for the wedding photos."

"Well, the photos will be on the beach and the stubble makes you look more... nature-ish," Taylor said lamely.

Her husband laughed. "Nature-ish? What's gotten into you, Tay? As soon as the stubble starts to grow, you're usually the first person to tell me to get my razor!"

"I just think it looks... very attractive today," Taylor fumbled. "Plus there isn't much parking and we should really leave now if we want to get a spot."

Dan's eyes travelled to the clock. "We have plenty of time," he corrected. "It won't take me long, anyway – just a few minutes."

He strode to the bathroom and Taylor covered her face, knowing that any further protest on her part was futile. She braced herself for what was to come.

There was a muffled exclamation in the bathroom, before Dan came out slowly, looking completely dazed.

"Honey, is there something you want to tell me?"

In his hand, he held a used pregnancy test... only this one was positive.

**...**

"Can I open my eyes yet?" the bride begged impatiently.

"Almost, I'm just putting the final touches on your make-up," Izzy soothed. "Just one more sweep of mascara... and we're finished! Go ahead and open your eyes."

The bride opened her eyes tentatively and stared at her reflection.

"Is that really me?" she asked in wonder.

"It's definitely you," Izzy said with a grin. "You make a beautiful bride."

"Bride," she repeated, shaking her head slightly. "I can't believe it. I'm actually getting married today!"

"Now don't forget your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue," Izzy reminded her. "I know it's just tradition but it can be fun too."

"Well, my dress is vintage," the bride said thoughtfully. "And my shoes are new."

"And here's something borrowed and blue," her maid of honour chimed in helpfully, handing her a delicate white handkerchief embroidered with blue flowers.

"Perfect," the bride said with a smile. "I really have to thank you for all the hard work you've done – this wedding wouldn't be taking place without you... honestly."

"Mummy, the car's here!" Henry yelled eagerly. He had been stationed at the front window all morning, waiting for the silver Mercedes to arrive.

"Time to go!" Izzy said excitedly. "Let's go get you married."

**...**

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Dan asked cautiously as he held up the test.

Taylor bit her lip. "If you think it means what I think you think it means."

Her husband shook his head slowly. "Why were you keeping it a secret, Tay?"

"I just took the test this morning and I didn't want to overshadow the wedding," Taylor explained. "I was going to tell you tomorrow."

She smiled wryly. "You weren't supposed to find out like this. I had it all planned – I was going to cook your favourite dinner tomorrow and have you wonder what the special occasion was. Then I was going to give you a box with a pair of baby socks in it. And then I was going to wait for you to figure out _why _I was giving you baby socks. It would have been such a great surprise."

Dan stared at her for a moment as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Then he unexpectedly let out a loud whoop until Taylor giggled and shushed him.

"We're going to have a baby," he marvelled. "That's amazing. How long have you been pregnant?"

"I'll have to go to a doctor and confirm," Taylor said hesitantly. "But from my calculations, I should be around five or six weeks along." She sighed regretfully. "I really wish I'd been able to surprise you, though!"

"Hey, it was still an incredible surprise," Dan said, wrapping his arms around his wife. "I can't wait. I know you're going to be the best mother in the world. Our little girl is going to be very lucky."

"Well, I guess I know what _you're _hoping for," Taylor teased her husband. "It _could _be a boy, you know."

"I'll be happy with whatever we have," Dan assured her quickly. "But to be honest, I would love to have a daughter that would be as beautiful as her mummy."

His eyes narrowed. "Although that might be a problem when she becomes a teenager and I'll have to fight off all the guys that will be chasing her."

Taylor giggled, and all thoughts of razors and weddings were briefly forgotten as the excited parents-to-be imagined what their baby would be like and grow up to be.

At this stage, they didn't know what the future would bring, but they were content to dream.

**...**

All eyes were on the bride as she floated down the aisle on her father's arm, looking elegant in a classic white satin sheath with a simple train. But she only had eyes for her groom.

All the details that she had been worrying about in the weeks leading up to the wedding – the flowers, the arrangement of the chairs, the music and the colour of the groom's boutonniere – suddenly none of it seemed important anymore. The only thing that mattered was that she was finally going to marry the man she loved.

She smiled as young Henry did a reading, dabbed away a tear as her maid of honour sang a song, listened attentively to the minister's sermonette about marriage, and simply stared in adoration as her groom recited his vows.

_I'm married, _she thought in awe as her new husband kissed her, eliciting cheers and whistles from their friends.

"Are you ready to take the first steps of your new life together?" the minister asked.

Her husband squeezed her hand and they both nodded eagerly.

"In that case," the minister said with a smile on his face. "It is my great pleasure to introduce to you, for the first time, Mr and Mrs Churchill."

**...**

"What a beautiful wedding," Emma said dreamily. "Didn't Jenna look lovely in that dress?"

"She did," Jake agreed, as they walked together to the Woodhouse's front door. "I think they'll be very happy together."

"And they owe it all to me," Emma said smugly as she fumbled for her keys.

"_You?" _Jake exclaimed incredulously. "Emma, what have you got to do with it all?"

"Well, if I hadn't protected Frank from all the girls that were after him, he might never have gotten back together with Jenna," his girlfriend reasoned, a twinkle in her hazel eyes.

"You're incorrigible," Jake said with a laugh.

"You love me in spite of it," she replied flippantly, smoothing down the folds of her aquamarine maid-of-honour dress.

Jake shook his head. "No, I love you _because _of it," he corrected.

Emma opened the door quietly. "Looks like Dad's gone to bed already," she commented. "Want to come in for a bit? I could make tea."

"Sure," Jake agreed readily, following her inside.

Emma dumped her bag on the couch and made her way to the kitchen. It didn't take long for the kettle to boil.

"I hope peppermint tea's OK," she called, as she walked back into the living room... and stifled a gasp.

For Jake was on bended knee, looking expectantly at her.

"Oh, my gosh," she breathed quietly.

"I think you'd better put those mugs down, Em," Jake said with a grin. "We don't want any spills."

Emma obediently set the mugs down and stared speechlessly at Jake, as he took her hand.

"Emma Jacqueline Woodhouse," he said. "Sixteen years ago, I asked you to marry me. Back then, you thought getting married was all about climbing trees and eating chocolate-chip ice-cream. And we can do those things... but it's about so much more than that. It's about knowing that you can live the rest of your life without someone... but not wanting to. It's about loving someone and dreaming about making them happy. It's about hopefully raising a family one day and growing old together. Emma, I want all these things with you. Will you marry me?"

He held up a small circular object and when Emma saw it, she choked back a laugh. It was a ring fashioned out of chewing gum... just like the one Jake had made her – and she'd ended up eating – sixteen years before.

"Don't worry – this isn't the real ring," he said teasingly. "The real ring is in my pocket, but I thought this would be meaningful."

It was thoughtful gestures like these which reminded Emma of why she loved Jake.

She closed her eyes and briefly reflected upon the day of her first proposal.

She didn't know _any _other eighteen-year-old guys who would have humoured a six-year-old in the way that Jake had. His kindness and compassion had only increased over the years. Nobody knew her in the way that he did. She knew he would make a wonderful husband.

"Not wanting to force an answer out of you, Emma, but my knee's starting to get sore," Jake quipped. "I'm getting old, you know."

Emma laughed at his joke, but seeing the slightly anxious look in Jake's eyes, she took pity on him and gave him his answer.

And of course, you must be wondering... what did she say?

Just what she ought, of course. A lady always does.

**...**

_**Author's Note: **__It's FINISHED! And with an Austen quote, I might add. Sorry, I couldn't resist. :)_

_I have to give a special thank you to two very special reviewers who have followed this story from the beginning and provided so much encouragement along the way – iambbq and TheImaginationAddict. I truly appreciate the support you gave me during the chapters I didn't want to write and this story would not have been completed without you!_

_Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter – Bet, Frogster, TheImaginationAddict, MySarcasticGreenCrayon, iambbq, RhiannonAmidala, Stephy-Lou-Clark-Weasley, TodayIsYesterday'sTomorrow, EaF and Whosepride!_

_For all those who want to see more of Emma, Jake and the rest of the gang... I'm confirming that there will be a sequel. It's called Ever After and I'll get started on it soon._

_And as a special thank you gift to everyone who reviews this final chapter, I will send you a sneak peek at the sequel! Obviously this won't work with anonymous reviews – so either log in when you review or leave an email address. _

_If you're hungry for more modern Austen in the meantime, check out my other two modern Austen stories – 'A Christmas Medley' (which goes through Jake and Emma's Christmases) and 'The Importance of First Impressions' (which is a modern Pride and Prejudice)._

_And as always, you can follow me on Twitter and/or PM me if you want to interact in the meantime. Thanks, again, everyone, and I hope you'll be reading Ever After!_


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